CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Licensing Laws

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will bring forward proposals to amend the Licensing Act 2003 to prevent last-minute licence reviews of events held once a year; and if he will make a statement.

John Penrose: The Department will be examining the Licensing Act 2003 and other regulatory regimes in order to consider the scope for streamlining and simplification.
	We want to ensure a careful balance between supporting the businesses affected by the regulation and ensuring the public are protected. We will consider the options carefully before making any firm decisions.

Olympic Games 2012: North West

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what he expects the legacy of the 2012 Olympics will be for the north- west region; and if he will make a statement.

Hugh Robertson: The north-west stands to gain from the wide range of opportunities created by the 2012 games, through businesses winning games-related work, increased tourism and cultural celebrations.
	52 of the Olympic Delivery Authority's suppliers are businesses registered in the north-west, and more are winning work in the supply chains of its contractors.
	The Old Trafford football stadium will be one of the key non-London venues, hosting football matches, and along with Pre-Games Training Camps will provide an opportunity to create further economic benefits, including inward investment, through the international attention that will follow. 68 facilities in the region are included in the official London 2012 Pre-Games Training Camp Guide, and to date memoranda of understanding are in place with 17 of the Oceania National Olympic Committees, the National Olympic Committee of Thailand and Australia's swimming team, formalising their intentions to use facilities in the region in the run-up to the games.
	There are 85 games-inspired projects in the north-west which have been awarded the Inspire Mark and during 2012, as part of the UK-wide cultural celebrations, there will be live sites in Manchester and Liverpool. Additionally, there are several cultural legacy projects in the north-west of which, 'WE PLAY' is one. It combines digital, physical and virtual participation opportunities for people from all walks of life.

Sports Commission

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what steps he has taken to create a Sports Commission; and if he will make a statement.

Hugh Robertson: We are currently working with Sport England, UK Sport and the Youth Sport Trust on options to bring them together under one roof, while retaining the focus on their individual roles and responsibilities. In addition, the Secretary of State has instigated a series of cross-departmental meetings to discuss sport and Olympic-related issues, for example school sport and Olympic security.
	We will be looking at plans for a more formal arrangement, based on the Australian Sports Commission, in due course.

DEFENCE

Afghanistan and Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many serving soldiers have sustained injuries while on active service in  (a) Iraq and  (b) Afghanistan.

Liam Fox: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) regularly publishes the casualty and fatality statistics on the MOD website. Between 7 October 2001 to 15 May 2010 in Afghanistan, 376 UK personnel sustained a very serious injury or serious injury. From 1 January 2003 to 31 July 2009 in Iraq, 222 UK personnel sustained a very serious injury or serious innjury.
	The figures can be found on the MOD website at the following links:
	The Iraq (Op Telic) casualty tables up to 31 July 2009:
	http://www.mod.uk/NR/rdonlyres/7E86BD05-D4FF-4677-97 AA-CCFBDCFE4E34/0/optelic_31jul09.pdf
	The Afghanistan (Op HERRICK) Casualty Tables up to 15 May 2010:
	http://www.mod.uk/NR/rdonlyres/F4FDB0FC-28CB-4133-B615-D7A4E7C77F97/0/opherrickcasualtytablesto 15may2010.pdf

Afghanistan and Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Denis MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with the US Administration on its proposed changes to the level of US military  (a) presence and  (b) engagement in Afghanistan in 2011; and if he will make a statement.

Liam Fox: I have discussed the security situation in Afghanistan with my US counterpart on a number of occasions. I met Secretary Gates in London on 8 June 2010 where we covered a number of topics, including current and future plans on Afghanistan. We also discussed these issues at the NATO Defence Ministers' meeting in Brussels on 10-11 June 2010.

Afghanistan and Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his policy is on the use of armed drones by UK armed forces in Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement.

Liam Fox: Reaper, operated by the Royal Air Force, is the UK's only armed remotely piloted air system (RPAS). Reaper's primary mission is to provide a persistent intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance capability in support of coalition forces on the ground in Afghanistan. Being armed, Reaper has the capability to respond to requests for support from commanders on the ground and engage emerging targets.
	The rules of engagement used for Reaper weapon releases are no different to those used for manned combat aircraft; the weapons are all precision guided, and every effort is made to ensure the risk of collateral damage and civilian casualties is minimised, which may include deciding not to release a weapon. Reaper is not an autonomous system and does not have the capability to employ weapons unless it is commanded to do so by the flight crew.

Afghanistan and Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he plans to take to enable the Afghan Government to increase its authority in Helmand and Kandahar.

Liam Fox: UK forces, alongside Afghan and International Security and Assistance Force allies, will continue to clear the insurgent presence from central Helmand, holding the ground gained to enable governance and socio-economic development to continue. Election shuras have been well-attended, indicating that locals feel secure enough to engage with the Afghan Government in large numbers.
	In Kandahar, the UK will continue to support the Afghan Government-led initiative to better connect governance in Kandahar city with its citizens; to listen and respond to their needs; and to deliver to them improved security, governance, and economic opportunities.

Afghanistan and Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate has been made of the area of Afghanistan under the control of the Taliban  (a) in June 2009,  (b) in June 2008 and  (c) at the latest date for which information is available.

Liam Fox: It is not possible to provide an accurate or consistent figure for the proportion of Afghanistan that is controlled by the Taliban. However, more of Afghanistan is under the control of the Government of Afghanistan today than it has ever been before.
	There remain areas of Afghanistan not under the direct control of the Afghan Government but this does not necessarily mean they are under the control of the Taliban.

Afghanistan and Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to reduce numbers of British casualties in Afghanistan.

Liam Fox: We take the protection of our armed forces very seriously, and strive to reduce the risk they face and improve their protection. The best force protection involves using a range of equipment, combined with the right training and tactics. The combined effect of our continuous improvements to equipment, better tactics and ongoing research, together with a greater number of helicopter flying hours, and the deployment of a Counter-Improvised Explosive Device (C-IED) Task Force, contribute to managing the threat our troops face.
	The biggest challenge we face is the threat from IEDs. On 10 June, the Prime Minister announced that we will spend an additional £67 million on countering the IED threat. This will include more protected vehicles for use by our C-IED teams, more Remote Control Vehicles, and enhancing our military working dog capability. This investment, together with enhancements that have already been made to our IED equipment, training and other capabilities will continue to make a difference.

Afghanistan: Police

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information his Department holds on the proportion of members of the Afghan police force in Helmand province who are of each ethnicity.

Liam Fox: The ethnicity of members of the Afghan national police is a matter for the Government of Afghanistan. The Ministry of Defence does not hold data on the ethnicity of the Afghan national police in Helmand.

Union Flag

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his policy is on flying the Union flag each day from each official building for which his Department is responsible.

Andrew Robathan: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport issues guidance for the flying of the Union flag on UK Government buildings. The guidance encourages the Union flag to be flown 365 days a year, and as a minimum all Departments must fly the Union flag on the 19 special designated days including the Queen's birthday, Remembrance day and other special occasions as required such as the State Opening of Parliament. More information on the guidance is available on the DCMS website
	http://www.culture.gov.uk/what_we_do/honours/7124.aspx
	The Ministry of Defence's main building in Whitehall flies the Union flag every day and it is our policy to fly the Union flag as often as possible from all our buildings capable of doing so.

Departmental Private Education

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much was spent by his Department on private or independent education of children of serving military or defence personnel in each of the last five years.

Andrew Robathan: A payment may be paid to some service personnel, and some Ministry of Defence civilian employees appointed overseas, to allow their children to achieve a stable education. Limits apply in respect of the amount that can be claimed and all claims are subject to a parental minimum contribution of 10%.
	For service personnel, details of continuity of education allowance are only held for financial years 2007-08 and 2008-09. The amount paid is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Financial year  £ million 
			 2007-08 162.2 
			 2008-09 172.8 
		
	
	The amount of civilian schooling allowance paid is in the following table:
	
		
			  Calendar year  £ million 
			 2005 1.0 
			 2006 1.2 
			 2007 1.2 
			 2008 1.0 
			 2009 1.0

Departmental Public Expenditure

Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how he plans to reduce his Department's running costs by at least 25 per cent.

Liam Fox: The Department is considering how the savings will be achieved through its contributions to the strategic defence and security review and the Government's spending review, both of which are expected to report towards the end of the year.

Departmental Redundancy Pay

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his most recent estimate is of the annual cost to his Department of redundancy payments for  (a) front line and  (b) other staff employed by (i) his Department and (ii) its agencies.

Liam Fox: We hold information centrally only on the Department-wide Voluntary Early Release schemes instigated to deliver the Spending Review 2004 and 2007 reductions in the Ministry of Defence's (MOD) civilian staff. The total liability cost averaged some £44 million a year over the period 2005-06 to 2009-10.
	Beyond this, a number of smaller-scale voluntary release schemes have been run across the wider MOD to achieve specific business needs. The cost of these is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	As part of the Government's commitment to greater transparency, we plan to publish information on the cost and numbers of exit packages, including redundancy and early retirement, in our Annual Report and Accounts from 2010-11.

HMS Sultan

Caroline Dinenage: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service families based at HMS Sultan School of Navy Engineering are living in married quarters in Gosport constituency.

Andrew Robathan: The number of Service Family Accommodation (SFA) properties in the Gosport constituency is 1,026, of which 840 are currently occupied by service families.
	SFA is not reserved for specified units but entitled service families are usually accommodated within 10 miles of their permanent duty station. Therefore, personnel based at HMS Sultan are likely to be accommodated across the wider Portsmouth area.

Luke Coffey

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether Mr Luke Coffey has been subject to positive vetting; and whether he will have access to situation reports from military commanders.

Liam Fox: Mr Coffey has been subject to the necessary security vetting for him to undertake his role as a special adviser. He will have access to documentation appropriate to his appointment and defence vetting status.

Nuclear Weapons

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the total planned expenditure for the W-76 warhead life extension programme is; and how much has been spent to date on this programme.

Liam Fox: The W-76 warhead life extension programme is a US programme and I cannot comment.

Trade Unions

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to consult trade unions in  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies on lost reduction plans.

Liam Fox: We are working with the trade unions in accordance with agreed arrangements. We will consult them regarding the implementation of the Strategic Defence and Security Review, and the implications for staff of the associated settlement for Defence in the wider Government Spending Review.

Trident

Christopher Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence by what mechanism he intends to assess the value for money of the renewal of Trident.

Liam Fox: The Government are committed to a value for money review of the Trident programme within the framework of the Strategic Defence and Security Review. This is aimed at ensuring that the United Kingdom's essential minimum deterrent is maintained as cost-effectively as possible. The Ministry of Defence is working with other Government Departments on this assessment.

Trident

Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the matter of the renewal of Trident will be included in the Strategic Defence Review.

Liam Fox: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Brighton, Pavilion (Caroline Lucas) on 7 June 2010,  Official Report, column 11W.

UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will review the reservation made by his Department to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Andrew Robathan: There are no plans to review the reservation made by the Ministry of Defence to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The continuing need for the armed forces' exemption was confirmed when Parliament considered the Equality Act 2010.
	The armed forces were exempted from the employment provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. This exemption was secured because all armed forces' personnel need to be combat effective in order to meet a world-wide liability to deploy, and to ensure that military health and fitness remain matters for Defence Ministers based on military advice.

Unmanned Air Vehicles

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his policy is on the use of drone planes in military operations.

Liam Fox: Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UASs) continue to have a vital role to play in military operations, and it is our policy to continue to use them in support of forces on the ground in Afghanistan. As with all capabilities, we keep our operational requirements for UASs under constant review to ensure that they continue to meet our mission objectives.

Wigan

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what public spending projects within  (a) Wigan constituency and  (b) the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan his Department had secured Treasury approval for between 1 January 2010 and the date of his appointment as Secretary of State.

Andrew Robathan: The Government are re-assessing spending approvals granted between 1 January 2010 and the general election to ensure that they offer good value for money and are consistent with the Government's priorities. Further announcements will be made in due course.

World War II: Military Decorations

Caroline Dinenage: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will review his Department's policy on the wearing of Atlantic Star medals in order to authorise Arctic Convoy veterans of World War II to attach the Arctic Convoy emblems recently presented to them to such medals for wearing in public.

Andrew Robathan: I have no plans to do so.
	The Atlantic Star is the medal that recognises service on the Arctic Convoys. The Arctic Emblem marks the nation's gratitude to those who served on the Convoys for the severe conditions that they faced, but it is a lapel badge and not a medal, a clasp to a medal, bar or rosette. Therefore, it would be inappropriate to wear the Emblem on the medal ribbon of the Atlantic Star.
	However, the Arctic Emblem may be worn on the lapel, or above the breast pocket, either on occasions when it is appropriate to wear medals, or on its own with either formal or informal dress.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Carbon Emissions: Business

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the number and proportion of UK-listed companies which reported on their greenhouse gas emissions under his Department's guidance in the financial year 2009-10.

James Paice: I have been asked to reply.
	We encourage companies to publicly disclose their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions using the DEFRA/Department of Energy and Climate Change "Guidance on How to Measure and Report Your Greenhouse Gas Emissions", published in October 2009. As this guidance was published mid-year we do not expect that the majority of companies will have adjusted their reporting to make use of the guidance for the financial year 2009-10. No estimate has been made so far of the number or proportion of UK-listed companies using this guidance during this period. However, we expect preliminary information to become available in autumn 2010.

Union Flag

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his policy is on flying the Union flag each day from each official building for which his Department is responsible.

Gregory Barker: DECC staff operate from two buildings (3 Whitehall Place, London and Atholl House, 86-88 Guild Street, Aberdeen). Neither of these buildings has a flag pole and therefore the Department does not have a policy on flying the Union flag.

Departmental Official Cars

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the  (a) make,  (b) model and  (c) place of manufacture is of the car allocated for the use of each Minister in his Department.

Gregory Barker: The Department of Energy and Climate Change has four cars allocated to its Ministers. One is a Toyota Prius T Spirit and three are Toyota Prius T 3, all manufactured in Japan.
	These arrangements are changing following the publication of the new Ministerial Code which contains changes that affect ministerial entitlement to travel by Government car. The Code states that:
	"the number of Ministers with allocated cars and drivers will be kept to a minimum, taking into account security and other relevant considerations. Other Ministers will be entitled to use cars from the Government Car Service Pool as needed".
	Cabinet Office has provided clarification on how the Code should be interpreted. The expectation is that Ministers not in the Cabinet will use the pool service and that Cabinet Ministers who have an allocated car will wish to consider how that car might be utilised by other Ministers within the Department before calls are made on the Government Car Service Pool.
	The Department for Transport and its Government Car and Despatch Agency are working with Departments to effect the transition to the new arrangements.

Human Tissue Analysis in UK Nuclear Facilities Inquiry

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he expects the report of the Redfern Inquiry into human tissue analysis in UK nuclear facilities to be published.

Charles Hendry: There is currently no publication date for the report of the Redfern Inquiry into human tissue analysis in UK nuclear facilities. We expect to make an announcement before the summer recess.

Human Tissue Analysis in UK Nuclear Facilities Inquiry

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether he has received recent representations from British Nuclear Fuels on the outcome of the Redfern Inquiry into human tissue analysis in UK nuclear facilities; and if he will make a statement.

Charles Hendry: I have received no representations from British Nuclear Fuels on the outcome of the Redfern Inquiry into human tissue analysis in UK nuclear facilities.

Human Tissue Analysis in UK Nuclear Facilities Inquiry

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent discussions he has had with Michael Redfern QC on the outcomes of his inquiry into human tissue analysis in UK nuclear facilities; and if he will make a statement.

Charles Hendry: I have had no discussions with Michael Redfern QC on the outcome of his inquiry into human tissue analysis in UK nuclear facilities.

Human Tissue Analysis in UK Nuclear Facilities Inquiry

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent discussions he has had with families of deceased workers at  (a) Harwell and  (b) Sellafield nuclear facilities whose tissue was retained for analysis.

Charles Hendry: DECC Ministers have had no discussions with families of deceased workers at  (a) Harwell and  (b) Sellafield nuclear facilities whose tissue was retained for analysis.

Mining: Languages

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what information his Department holds on the number of miners who do not speak English who are employed in coal mines in the UK.

Charles Hendry: No such information is held.

Radioactive Waste: Waste Management

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent estimate he has made of the cost of establishing an underground repository for radioactive waste; and if he will make a statement.

Charles Hendry: The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) is responsible for the decommissioning and clean-up of the UK's civil public sector nuclear sites and has been designated as the body responsible for implementing geological disposal of higher activity radioactive waste.
	The cost of disposal is influenced by many different factors, including the inventory of waste, the timing of waste arisings, the geology at the site in question and the design of a geological disposal facility.
	NDA's total discounted lifetime cost estimate for the establishment of the geological disposal facility for higher activity wastes is £4.3 billion, of which NDA's share as shown in its Annual Report and Accounts is £3.7 billion with the remainder being funded by other waste producers. This investment will be incurred over a period of many decades and includes costs for research, design, construction, operation and final closure.

Radioactive Waste: Waste Management

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change which local authorities have presented proposals to his Department for the siting of an underground repository for radioactive waste.

Charles Hendry: In 2008, communities were invited to "express an interest" in entering discussions with Government about a siting process for a geological disposal facility for higher activity radioactive waste.
	To date, three "expressions of interest" have been received (Copeland borough council, Cumbria county council and Allerdale borough council) for the areas of Copeland and Allerdale. The authorities are working together in partnership to consider whether to move to the next stage of the process and further information is available on the West Cumbria MRWS Partnership website at:
	www.westcumbriamrws.org.uk
	The option to express an interest remains open and DECC officials are available to answer questions or advise any community who wishes to seek further information.

Sellafield

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what arrangements are made physically to segregate fissile nuclear material held under international safeguards from non-safeguarded fissile material at the Sellafield reprocessing plant.

Charles Hendry: The Government announced in April 1995 that the UK had ceased production of fissile material for explosives purposes. As part of the 1998 strategic defence review, it was announced that future reprocessing would be conducted under safeguards. The only non-safeguarded nuclear material on the Sellafield nuclear licensed site is that relevant to the naval propulsion programme, which is segregated and held in different locations to safeguarded material. There is also non-safeguarded nuclear material on the Windscale nuclear licensed site in Pile 1, which is undergoing decommissioning, and in another building which holds material from the naval propulsion programme. This nuclear material is also segregated from safeguarded material.

Water Power

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what new plans he has to increase electricity generation from marine sources.

Gregory Barker: The Government are committed to measures to support marine energy technologies. We are currently considering in detail how we progress this, including the role that marine energy parks may be able to play in helping the sector move forward towards commercial deployment.
	The Government are currently considering the evidence base from the two-year Severn Tidal Power Feasibility Study and expect to make a decision shortly. Other organisations are investigating the feasibility of tidal range power in a number of other bays and estuaries around the UK, including the Mersey and Solway.

Wigan

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change for what public spending projects within  (a) Wigan constituency and  (b) the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan his Department had secured Treasury approval between 1 January 2010 and the date of his appointment as Secretary of State.

Gregory Barker: The Government are re-assessing spending approvals granted between 1 January 2010 and the general election to ensure that they offer good value for money and are consistent with the Government's priorities. Further announcements will be made in due course.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Dangerous Dogs

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many responses her Department received to its consultation on dangerous dogs; and when she plans to respond to the consultation.

James Paice: holding answer 10 June 2010
	We have received approximately 4,250 responses to the consultation on dangerous dogs, which closed on 1 June. We will respond to the consultation once we have had the opportunity to consider these.

Departmental Translation Services

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what  (a) documents and  (b) other information for which (i) her Department and (ii) its associated public bodies are responsible are published or provided in the UK in languages other than English; for what reason each such publication is required to be made available in a language or languages other than English; and what estimate she has made of the cost to the public purse of the translation work so incurred in the latest period for which figures are available.

Richard Benyon: The Department has published or provided information in a number of languages between April 2009 and May 2010 via our central print contracts. The majority was undertaken as part of the personal food imports campaign aimed at informing the public as to which foods can be brought into the UK from outside the European Union. Other work was undertaken to comply with the Welsh Language Act 1993 and documents were translated into French for an EU event.
	All material published from April 2009 to May 2010 is shown in the following list. The total cost of this work for translation and production was £28,978.37.
	Detailed spend by the Department's associated bodies is not held centrally and could be collated only at disproportionate cost.
	 List of associated material produced between April 2009 and May 2010
	DEFRA Website update-Foods campaign (Chinese X2)
	DEFRA leaflets-Foods campaign (Urdu, Punjabi, Gujarati, Bengali, Farsi, Turkish, Chinese X2 and Arabic)
	DEFRA press ads-Foods campaign (Urdu, Punjabi, Gujarati, Bengali, Farsi, Turkish, Chinese X2, Filipino and Vietnamese)
	BSE Advisory Notes Welsh Translation
	BSE Advisory Notes (Welsh/English)
	Drinking Water Inspectorate Wales (in Welsh) Region Report
	Survey of Agriculture and Horticulture Welsh Version (Welsh Assembly version)
	Survey of Agriculture and Horticulture part 2 Welsh Version (DEFRA version)
	BSE Advisory Notes Welsh Translation
	Annual Review of Controls on Imports of Animal Products (Welsh)
	Scrapie Advisory Notes English/Welsh
	Cattle Leaflet (Welsh)
	Hedgerow Survey Questionnaire and Letter
	Food Strategy Documents-French Translation plus Artwork
	New Animal Movement Licensing Welsh forms

Fishing Catches

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the  (a) volume and  (b) monetary value of fish stocks landed by the UK fleet in each year since 2005.

Richard Benyon: The Marine Management Organisation's (MMO; previously the Marine Fisheries Agency (MFA)) annual "Sea Fisheries Statistics" publication covers the volume and value of all landings, broken down by species, into the UK.
	Data for 2005 to 2008 inclusive are available in the MFA's 2008 edition which was placed in the Library of the House.
	Provisional data for 2009 are available from the MMO's website:
	www.marinemanagement.org.uk
	at:
	www.marinemanagement.org.uk/fisheries/statistics/documents/monthly/2009/december.pdf.
	The MMO will publish the final figures in the 2009 edition in September.

Land Drainage: Finance

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will review Environment Agency spending guidelines for the purposes of ensuring the availability of adequate funding for land drainage maintenance.

Richard Benyon: The Environment Agency's investment programme is prioritised to deliver the flood and coastal erosion risk management targets set by Government. The Environment Agency, internal drainage boards, local authorities, water utilities and landowners have powers to provide drainage of land for purposes such as to improve agricultural production but this is not the objective of the Government's investment in flood risk management. The Environment Agency assists with drainage where it is the most cost-effective way of achieving its flood risk management objectives.
	Providing more funding for land drainage would mean less money for the core purpose of the Environment Agency's flood defence grant, which is aimed at managing the risk of flooding and coastal erosion.
	The Environment Agency may carry out additional drainage related work where it is given funding to do so.

Livestock: Transport

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will bring forward proposals to abolish the six-day rule relating to auction marts.

James Paice: The Government have no plans to abolish the six-day standstill rule. Standstills confer real benefits by reducing the speed at which undetected disease can spread. Research has shown that the length of time between disease entering the country and its detection is the biggest single factor in determining the size, and hence the cost, of disease outbreaks.

Mackerel: Conservation

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to protect mackerel stocks in UK waters.

Richard Benyon: Sustainable management of the mackerel stock is extremely important. DEFRA officials are fully involved in the ongoing negotiations involving the European Union, Norway, Iceland, the Faroe Islands and the Russian Federation. The most recent round of negotiations took place at the headquarters of the North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission in London on 28 to 30 May.
	Unfortunately, it was not possible for all the parties to come to an agreement on the management of the stock at that meeting, but efforts will continue to reach an agreement in the coming months.
	I also intend to raise this issue, and stress its importance, when I meet the European Commissioner, Maria Damanaki, in the near future.

Rivers

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has for improving river quality in England; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Benyon: River water quality has improved significantly since the early 1990s. Under the Environment Agency's previous method of assessment, the number of rivers described as good increased from around 50% to over 75% between 1990 and 2008.
	Under the new classification system brought in under the 2009 EU Water Framework Directive, the number of water bodies now classed as good is 26%. The quality of our rivers has not suddenly decreased, but good status is now significantly harder to achieve and also includes parameters that were not assessed previously. Through the introduction of the River Basin Management Plans, required under the same directive and published on 22 December 2009, we have agreed measures that will improve the number of water bodies classed as good to at least 30% by 2015. The plans also contain over 8,500 investigations to be completed by the end of 2012, which will provide us with the necessary evidence base to require further measures ahead of 2015 and beyond.

Rural Areas: Broadband

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, on delivering fast-speed broadband in rural areas; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Benyon: The Secretary of State has both written to, and spoken with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to express her personal support for the initiatives outlined in his speech of 8 June 2010 to take broadband to rural communities. Enabling investment in new high-speed broadband connections is a priority for the Government, and DEFRA officials will continue to work with their counterparts in DCMS and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to implement these initiatives.

Water Abstraction

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many investigations have been  (a) conducted and  (b) completed under the Environment Agency's Restoring Sustainable Abstraction programme to date.

Richard Benyon: The Environment Agency has conducted and completed preliminary investigations on 305 schemes under the Restoring Sustainable Abstraction programme.
	Following these investigations, 148 schemes are being examined to identify the most effective restoration solution that delivers the best environmental improvements. Investigations on the remaining 157 schemes concluded no further action was necessary.
	There are another 229 schemes which are undergoing preliminary investigations.

Water Abstraction

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans her Department has for amending or retracting water abstraction licences.

Richard Benyon: All abstraction licences are assessed through the Environment Agency's Catchment Abstraction Management Strategies.
	Licences identified as potentially impacting the environment undergo further analysis in the Environment Agency's Restoring Sustainable Abstraction programme.
	Currently, the Environment Agency has 377 open schemes within this programme, covering 638 abstraction licences.
	Restoration solutions can include licence changes as well as in river modifications.

Water Abstraction

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether compensation funds will be available for amending or retracting water abstraction licences for sites not covered by the EU habitats directive.

Richard Benyon: Compensation may be payable under Section 61 of the Water Resources Act 1991, where the Secretary of State has directed the Environment Agency to revoke or modify an abstraction licence.
	The Environment Agency's annual water resources abstraction charge includes an Environmental Improvement Unit Charge.
	Funds collected via this charge are for potential compensation claims payable for abstraction licence changes at habitats directive sites, Sites of Special Scientific Interest, and local undesignated sites, including actions required to deliver Biodiversity Action Plan targets.

Water Companies: Regulation

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will bring forward proposals for legislation on regulation of the water industry, including competition, metering and water efficiency.

Richard Benyon: The Government's coalition statement said that we will examine the conclusions of the Cave and Walker reviews, and reform the water industry to ensure more efficient use of water and the protection of poorer households.

Wigan

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for what public spending projects within  (a) Wigan constituency and  (b) the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan her Department had secured Treasury approval between 1 January 2010 and the date of her appointment as Secretary of State.

Richard Benyon: The Government are reassessing spending approvals granted between 1 January 2010 and the general election to ensure that they offer good value for money and are consistent with the Government's priorities. Further announcements will be made in due course.

HEALTH

Allied Health Professions

Gisela Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the work of his Department's physician's assistants scheme; and whether he expects the scheme to continue.

Anne Milton: Skills for Health, in their role as the Sector Skills Council for the United Kingdom health sector, have been supporting employers to develop new roles such as the physicians' assistant. The role of physicians' assistant has been particularly successful in London and the west midlands and Skills for Health are sharing this good practice with employers in other areas so that they can consider whether to introduce this new role into their work force.
	Given the length of time that the physicians' assistants have been in post, there has been no national evaluation of the role. However, there is to be a formal review of the Competence and Curriculum Framework later this year.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Health Services

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease national strategy is expected to be  (a) completed and  (b) implemented in practice.

Simon Burns: The Department is currently reviewing the 117 responses received to its consultation on a strategy for services for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in England, and is expecting to make further announcements once the review process has concluded.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Health Services

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the NHS spent on treatment of people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in each of the last five years.

Simon Burns: The Department publishes best estimates of the totality of its expenditure split by Programme budget on the Department's website at:
	http://collections.europarchive.org/tna/20100509080731/http://dh.gov.uk/en/Managingyourorganisation/Financeandplanning/Programmebudgeting/DH_075743
	Programme budgeting expenditure at England level is calculated using data from the Department accounts, arm's length bodies within the resource accounting boundary, primary care trusts and strategic health authorities.
	The figures for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease fall under Programme Budgeting Category (PBC) Code 11A: Problems of the Respiratory System: Obstructive Airways Disease as shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Gross expenditure 
			  £000 
			  PBC code  Programme budgeting category  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			 11 Problems of the Respiratory System 3,072,258 3,468,754 3,539,634 3,802,489 4,247,083 
			 11A Problems of Respiratory System-Obstructive Airways Disease - - 576,008 592,646 698,132 
			 11B Problems of the Respiratory System-Asthma - - 849,076 967,101 1,035,384 
			 11X Problems of the Respiratory System-Other - - 2,114,551 2,242,742 2,513,568 
		
	
	As the underlying data are subject to yearly changes, the figures should be treated with caution when drawing any conclusions on changes in spending patterns between years. Also, the PBC figures for disease-specific expenditure do not include expenditure on prevention, or general practitioner expenditure, but do include prescribing expenditure. Some expenditure on obstructive airways disease may also be included in the "other" category due to problems with miscoding and difficulties with providing a definitive clinical diagnosis for all patients.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Health Services

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have been diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Simon Burns: The most recent data for 2008-09 published by the NHS Information Centre for health and social care show a total of 834,312 patients were counted on general practitioner practice chronic obstructive pulmonary disease registers as part of the Quality and Outcomes Framework for England.

Community Nurses: Travel

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the average number of miles travelled by community nurses in the latest period for which figures are available.

Anne Milton: No estimate has been made centrally.

Continuing Care

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he plans to publish details of the Government's proposed commission on long-term care; whether he intends to ensure that all political parties are represented on the commission; and what consultation he intends to undertake on these matters prior to the appointment of the commission.

Paul Burstow: Details of the terms of reference and membership of the commission on funding long-term care will be published shortly.

Union Flag

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on flying the Union flag each day from each official building for which his Department is responsible.

Simon Burns: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport issues guidance for the flying of the Union flag on United Kingdom Government buildings. The guidance encourages the Union flag to be flown 365 days a year, and as a minimum all Departments must fly the Union Flag on 19 special designated days, e.g. Queen's birthday, Remembrance day, etc., and other special occasions as required, e.g. State Opening of Parliament.
	The Department of Health flies the Union flag at its official headquarters building, Richmond House in Whitehall 365 days of the year.

Departmental Manpower

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) front line and  (b) other staff were employed by (i) his Department and (ii) each of its agencies in the latest year for which figures are available; and what his most recent estimate is of the annual cost to the public purse of employing staff of each type at each of those bodies.

Simon Burns: The Department does not employ front-line staff. Its Executive Agency, the Medicines Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), has defined some front-line staff in its core public health operating functions of medicines licensing, pharmacovigilance, inspections, enforcement and its various devices functions as front line.
	As at 31 March 2009, the core Department employed 2,630 whole time equivalent civil servants. As at 31 March 2009, the MHRA employed 901 whole time equivalent civil servants. According to its definitions, the MHRA employs 366 front-line whole time equivalent civil servants and 535 'other', whole time equivalent civil servants.
	The cost of the core Department's paybill during the 2009-10 financial year was £151.9 million. The MHRA has estimated the annual cost to the public purse of the MHRA employing staff of each type during the 2009-10 financial year was £19.3 million for front-line staff and £33.2 million for 'other' staff.
	Since 31 March 2010 there has been only one Executive Agency of the Department: the MHRA.

Departmental Mobile Phones

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which Ministers in his Department have been issued with  (a) a BlackBerry,  (b) an iPhone,  (c) another make of mobile telephone and  (d) a personal digital assistant supplied by the Department.

Simon Burns: The only mobile telecoms or personal digital assistant devices that have been issued to Ministers of the Department are BlackBerry devices. These have been provided to Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Anne Milton) and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Earl Howe). The Department does not issue Apple iPhones to staff as these are not approved for Government use by the CESG. CESG is the Information Assurance arm of GCHQ which aims to protect and promote the vital interests of the United Kingdom by providing advice and assistance on the security of communications and electronic data.

Departmental Official Hospitality

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what budget his Department has allocated for entertainment, including alcohol, in each of the next three years.

Simon Burns: The Department does not allocate budgets for entertainment, including alcohol. The Department's business rules prohibit the use of departmental funds for providing entertainment.

Departmental Official Residences

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether any domestic properties in the gift of the Government have been allocated to the use of Ministers in his Department.

Simon Burns: No domestic properties in the gift of the Government have been allocated for use by Ministers at the Department.

Departmental Translation Services

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of translating information distributed in the UK by  (a) his Department and  (b) its associated public bodies into languages other than English in the latest period for which figures are available.

Simon Burns: The total expenditure on translation of departmental leaflets and publications in England in the 2009-10 financial year was £327,532.83. This was significantly higher than in the 2008-09 financial year, for which the total expenditure was £130,020.00.
	The translation costs for 2009-10 include a number of exceptional, one-off requirements, including translating essential swine flu information.
	To research the costs for all associated public bodies would incur disproportionate costs.

Food Poisoning

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to reduce the incidence of food poisoning, with particular reference to the incidence during the summer months.

Anne Milton: The Food Standards Agency (FSA) undertakes a range of activities designed to reduce the incidence of food poisoning. These include:
	The Foodborne Disease Strategy-a programme for reducing foodborne illness by targeting those pathogens that cause the greatest incidence and burden of disease in the United Kingdom. This programme includes the FSA Food Hygiene Campaign, designed to raise consumer awareness of food safety issues and good food hygiene practices;
	The Food Hygiene Delivery Programme-set up to address the recommendations of the report of the Public Inquiry into the 2005 South Wales outbreak of  E. coli 0157. A primary aim of this programme is to improve awareness and control of food safety hazards by food businesses, food law enforcers and consumers;
	Provision of a range of guidance and resources to help catering businesses (particularly small businesses) to comply with the requirements of food hygiene legislation;
	Development of a Food Hygiene Ratings Scheme (also known as 'scores on doors') to provide consumers with information on hygiene standards in food premises and encourage these businesses to improve their standards; and
	Delivery of official food and feed controls and support for other Government Departments and local authorities' enforcement of food and feed hygiene and food standards.
	The number of cases of foodborne illness shows a seasonal summer peak, between May and September. Most cases are due to  Campylobacter, which has been identified as a priority organism for action in the FSA's Foodborne Disease Strategy. The FSA is working in partnership with industry and retail stakeholders to develop and implement interventions to reduce  Campylobacter in chicken.
	The FSA's Food Hygiene Campaign has been running since 2001 to raise awareness and increase understanding of food hygiene by consumers. The campaign's varied activities have included seasonal activity to address the rise in cases that occurs each summer, focusing on safe summer eating including barbecuing. UK Food Safety Week, a focus for the promotion of food hygiene messages, is held in June each year and has been co-ordinated by the FSA since 2007.

General Practitioners

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health by what mechanism the relationship between GP commissioning and the commissioning of services by primary care trusts is managed.

Simon Burns: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to him on 8 June 2010,  Official Report, column 112W, and to the hon. Member for St Ives (Andrew George) on 2 June 2010,  Official Report, column 41W.

General Practitioners

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what mechanism he intends to establish for the operation of GP commissioning.

Simon Burns: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 8 June 2010,  Official Report, column 112W.

Gosport War Memorial Hospital

Caroline Dinenage: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the operational status is of the oncology clinic at Gosport War Memorial Hospital.

Paul Burstow: This information is not held centrally. However, the Department is informed by the South Central Strategic Health Authority (SHA) that Hampshire Primary Care Trust (PCT) has temporarily suspended the oncology clinic at Gosport War Memorial Hospital due to staff shortages. The PCT aims to reinstate the sessions as soon as possible. The PCT has assured the Department that its overriding responsibility for patient safety is maintained at all times. The hon. Member may wish to contact South Central SHA for further information.

Health Professions

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) academic clinical fellowships and  (b) clinical lectureships are funded by the NHS annually; and whether he plans to change the number of such posts so funded.

Simon Burns: Each year the Department provides funding, through the National Institute for Health Research, for some 250 academic clinical fellowships and 100 post-doctoral clinical lectureships. There are no plans at the current time to change this.

Hospitals: Food

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidelines are in place for the provision of hospital meals to patients with  (a) kosher,  (b) halal,  (c) vegetarian,  (d) vegan and  (e) other dietary requirements.

Simon Burns: The Department does not provide specific guidelines about provision of these types of meals. However, the Care Quality Commission's publication, "Essential Standards of Quality and Safety"(1) sets out standards of quality that patients have a right to expect in hospital, including those relating to food. In meeting such standards, it requires providers who comply with the regulations(2) to provide choices of food and drink for people to meet their diverse needs, making sure it is nutritionally balanced and supports their health. In particular, patients should have a choice for each meal that takes account of their individual preferences and needs, including religious and cultural requirements.
	Menus are devised and managed by hospital trusts locally. Trusts' catering functions have access to professional advice from hospital dieticians. In addition, information and good practice illustrations about delivering specific meals types are available to the national health service through a range of guidance material, in particular, via the Hospital Caterers Association website(3), which accommodates the dish selector guidance and other detailed support to the local NHS.
	(1) Published by The Care Quality Commission March 2010.
	(2) The guidance relates to providers of services that carry "regulated activities". These are defined in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2009.
	(3) www.hospitalcaterers.org/better-hospital-food/

Hospitals: Waiting Lists

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his most recent estimate is of average waiting times for hospital treatment in  (a) Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency,  (b) the London Borough of Bexley and  (c) Greater London.

Simon Burns: The information is not collected in the format requested. The information that is available is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Average (median) waiting times from referral to treatment (weeks) 
			   Admitted patients  Non-admitted patients 
			 London Strategic Health Authority 7.7 3.5 
			 Bexley Care Trust 8.9 4.5 
			 South London Healthcare NHS Trust 10.7 4.9 
			  Notes: 1. Figures reflect average waiting times for patients treated during the month. 2. Waiting time is from referral to first definitive treatment. 3. Admitted figures are on an adjusted basis, i.e. excluding periods of delay introduced as a result of patients turning down offers of admissions made with reasonable notice. 4. The latest published Referral to Treatment data are for March 2010.  Source: Department Monthly Referral to Treatment Return

Mental Health Services: Children

Simon Reevell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many child and adolescent psychoanalytic psychotherapists have qualified in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many child and adolescent psychoanalytic psychotherapists worked in each region in the NHS in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: The information requested is not collected by the Department.

Mental Health Services: Children

Simon Reevell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many child and adolescent psychoanalytic psychotherapists he estimates will work in each region of the NHS in each of the next two years; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: The information requested is not collected by the Department.
	Local national health service organisations are best placed to decide what staff are needed that best serve the needs of their local populations and recruit and train the staff required.

NHS: Finance

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of the total health budget was spent on  (a) primary and  (b) secondary care in the latest period for which figures are available.

Simon Burns: In 2008-09, 22% of the Department's revenue expenditure was on primary care, and 63.5% on secondary care. These percentages are calculated using summarised primary care trust accounts 2008-09, and final reported outturn expenditure.

NHS: Standards

Heidi Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what each primary care trust scored in the Care Quality Commission's most recent assessment of performance on delayed transfers of care; and what vital signs data are available for each such trust in each of the last 12 quarters.

Simon Burns: The Care Quality Commission (CQC) uses delayed transfers of care as an indicator within its periodic review of primary care trusts.
	The CQC's 2008-09 delayed transfers of care scores are shown in the following table.
	A complete set of quarterly vital signs data is not held centrally.
	
		
			  Primary care trust  2008-09 Delayed transfers of care score 
			 Ashton, Leigh and Wigan Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Barking and Dagenham Primary Care Trust Underachieved 
			 Barnet Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Barnsley Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Bassetlaw Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Bath and North East Somerset Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Bedfordshire Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Berkshire East Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Berkshire West Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Bexley Care Trust Achieved 
			 Birmingham East and North Primary Care Trust Underachieved 
			 Blackburn with Darwen Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Blackpool Primary Care Trust Underachieved 
			 Bolton Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Bournemouth and Poole Teaching Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Bradford and Airedale Teaching Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Brent Teaching Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Brighton and Hove City Primary Care Trust Underachieved 
			 Bristol Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Bromley Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Buckinghamshire Primary Care Trust Underachieved 
			 Bury Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Calderdale Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Cambridgeshire Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Camden Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Central and Eastern Cheshire Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Central Lancashire Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 City and Hackney Teaching Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Primary Care Trust Underachieved 
			 County Durham Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Coventry Teaching Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Croydon Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Cumbria Teaching Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Darlington Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Derby City Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Derbyshire County Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Devon Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Doncaster Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Dorset Primary Care Trust Underachieved 
			 Dudley Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Ealing Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 East and North Hertfordshire Primary Care Trust Underachieved 
			 East Lancashire Teaching Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 East Sussex Downs and Weald Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Eastern and Coastal Kent Primary Care Trust Underachieved 
			 Enfield Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Gateshead Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Gloucestershire Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Great Yarmouth and Waveney Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Greenwich Teaching Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Halton and St Helens Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham Primary Care Trust Underachieved 
			 Hampshire Primary Care Trust Underachieved 
			 Haringey Teaching Primary Care Trust Underachieved 
			 Harrow Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Hartlepool Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Hastings and Rother Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Havering Primary Care Trust Underachieved 
			 Heart of Birmingham Teaching Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Herefordshire Primary Care Trust Underachieved 
			 Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Hillingdon Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Hounslow Primary Care Trust Underachieved 
			 Hull Teaching Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Isle of Wight NHS Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Islington Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Kensington and Chelsea Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Kingston Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Kirklees Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Knowsley Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Lambeth Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Leeds Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Leicester City Primary Care Trust Underachieved 
			 Leicestershire County and Rutland Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Lewisham Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Lincolnshire Teaching Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Liverpool Primary Care Trust Underachieved 
			 Luton Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Manchester Primary Care Trust Underachieved 
			 Medway Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Mid Essex Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Middlesbrough Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Milton Keynes Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Newcastle Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Newham Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Norfolk Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 North East Essex Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 North East Lincolnshire Care Trust Plus Achieved 
			 North Lancashire Teaching Primary Care Trust Underachieved 
			 North Lincolnshire Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 North Somerset Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 North Staffordshire Primary Care Trust Underachieved 
			 North Tyneside Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 North Yorkshire and York Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Northamptonshire Teaching Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Northumberland Care Trust Achieved 
			 Nottingham City Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Nottinghamshire County Teaching Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Oldham Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Oxfordshire Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Peterborough Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Plymouth Teaching Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Portsmouth City Teaching Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Redbridge Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Redcar and Cleveland Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Richmond and Twickenham Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Rotherham Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Salford Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Sandwell Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Sefton Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Sheffield Primary Care Trust Underachieved 
			 Shropshire County Primary Care Trust Underachieved 
			 Solihull Care Trust Achieved 
			 Somerset Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 South Birmingham Primary Care Trust Underachieved 
			 South East Essex Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 South Gloucestershire Primary Care Trust Underachieved 
			 South Staffordshire Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 South Tyneside Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 South West Essex Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Southampton City Primary Care Trust Failed 
			 Southwark Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Stockport Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Stockton-on-Tees Teaching Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Stoke on Trent Primary Care Trust Underachieved 
			 Suffolk Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Sunderland Teaching Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Surrey Primary Care Trust Underachieved 
			 Sutton and Merton Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Swindon Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Tameside and Glossop Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Telford and Wrekin Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Torbay Care Trust Failed 
			 Tower Hamlets Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Trafford Primary Care Trust Failed 
			 Wakefield District Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Walsall Teaching Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Waltham Forest Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Wandsworth Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Warrington Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Warwickshire Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 West Essex Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 West Hertfordshire Primary Care Trust Underachieved 
			 West Kent Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 West Sussex Primary Care Trust Underachieved 
			 Western Cheshire Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Westminster Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Wiltshire Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Wirral Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Wolverhampton City Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			 Worcestershire Primary Care Trust Achieved 
			  Source: Care Quality Commission website: 2008-09 NHS Performance Ratings

NHS: Working Hours

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he plans to introduce proposals to mitigate the effect on the NHS of the European working time directive; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State supports the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills in taking a robust approach to future negotiations on the revision of the directive including maintenance of the opt-out.
	We will not go back to the past with tired doctors working excessive hours, but the way the directive is now applied is clearly unsatisfactory and is causing great problems for health services across Europe. We therefore support efforts to resolve these issues and stand ready to work with the European Commission and other member states on radical and creative approaches to gain additional flexibilities.

Respite Care

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure that carers have access to respite care.

Paul Burstow: We need to examine how effectively existing arrangements are being implemented. We are currently analysing information from strategic health authorities about the priority accorded to supporting carers by primary care trusts. In addition, we will consider how local authority direct payments and personal budgets can be used in ways that enable both carers and the people that they care for access to community support, including respite.

Wigan

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for which public expenditure projects in  (a) Wigan constituency and  (b) the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan his Department secured Treasury approval between 1 January 2010 and the date of his appointment as Secretary of State.

Simon Burns: No national health service capital build, information technology or arm's length body schemes above local strategic health authority delegated limits were approved by the Department for the area covered by the local NHS organisations for the period indicated.
	Details of schemes that may have been approved by the local NHS according to their delegated limits can be obtained from the NHS organisations concerned.

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Petitions

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Leader of the House when he plans to announce mechanisms by which the public may submit petitions to this House for debate.

George Young: The Government will bring forward new proposals for the public to engage with the House by submitting petitions which will be eligible for debate if they obtain 100,000 signatures, with the petition which attracts the most signatures triggering an opportunity for a Bill to be presented. We will also bring forward proposals for a new public reading stage of Government Bills.
	There is clear scope for these proposals to be taken forward together, and in co-operation with the House's wider work on public engagement, in order to ensure that they are implemented in a way that is consistent, coherent and cost-effective.
	The final decision about the appropriate mechanism will rest with the House itself and I hope to be able to bring forward proposals soon.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Departmental Public Appointments

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many  (a) political appointments and  (b) other personal appointments he has made since his appointment; and at what estimated annual cost to the public purse.

Owen Paterson: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given on 3 June 2010,  Official Report, column 99W, to the hon. Member for Bishop Auckland (Helen Goodman).

PRIME MINISTER

Andy Coulson and Jonny Oates

Tom Watson: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 2 June 2010,  Official Report, column 37W, on Andy Coulson and Jonny Oates 
	(1)  whether his  (a) Director of Communications and  (b) Deputy Director of Communications are subject to the provisions of the Official Secrets Act; whether each has subscribed to its provisions; and whether each is entitled to view Government documents classified as (i) secret and (ii) top secret;
	(2)  what the roles and responsibilities of his  (a) Director of Communications and  (b) Deputy Director of Communications are; if he will publish details of the salaries of each position in the same format as those published for senior civil servants; for how many people each has management responsibility; on what date each subscribed to the code of conduct for special advisers; and on what date he expects each to declare their external interests relevant to their posts.

David Cameron: I refer the hon. Member to my written ministerial statement of 10 June 2010,  Official Report, column 32WS.

Corruption: Public Service

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Prime Minister whether he plans to appoint an International Anti-Corruption Champion.

David Cameron: The Government and relevant Departments place anti-corruption in all international dealings at the centre of their strategies. I have appointed the Lord Chancellor my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Rushcliffe (Mr Clarke) as the Government's International Anti-Corruption Champion to take forward the Government's efforts in this area.

Departmental Manpower

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Prime Minister how many  (a) special advisers and  (b) press officers are employed by his Office; and at what civil service pay grade in each such case.

David Cameron: I refer the hon. Member to my written ministerial statement of 10 June 2010,  Official Report, column 32WS. My Office employs 10 civil service press officers, one of whom is in the senior civil service. This figure does not include the Prime Minister's Official Spokesman, a role filled by a senior civil servant.

North East

David Anderson: To ask the Prime Minister when he next plans to visit the north-east; and if he will make a statement.

David Cameron: I hope to make visits across the United Kingdom over the coming months.

Regional Planning and Development: West Midlands

Richard Burden: To ask the Prime Minister which Secretary of State is responsible for responding to the second and third reports of the West Midlands Regional Committee of Session 2009-10, HC 421 and HC 528; and when he expects those responses to be made.

David Cameron: The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government is responsible for responding to these reports.

SCOTLAND

Departmental Manpower

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many staff his Department employed on the most recent date for which figures are available; and what the annual staff cost was.

Michael Moore: Information on Scotland Office staff numbers and costs are published routinely in the Office's annual report, copies of which are in the House Library.

Devolution

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with the  (a) Prime Minister,  (b) Deputy Prime Minister and  (c) First Minister of Scotland on the implementation of the proposals of the Commission on Scottish Devolution; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Moore: I am pleased to report to the House that I have had the opportunity to discuss the Government's commitment to implement the recommendations in the Calman Report with the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister and the First Minister. I have also spoken with other Cabinet colleagues who have policy interests in the recommendations.
	The coalition agreement clearly set out the Government's commitment to implement recommendations from the report. Both I and my ministerial colleagues have made clear that we welcome the involvement and views of the Scottish Government, and I am pleased with the engagement that we have had to date. The Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, First Minister and I all attended the Joint Ministerial Committee meeting on 8 June; there was a positive and constructive dialogue between the UK Government and the devolved Administrations.

Devolution

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he will announce a timetable for implementation of the proposals of the Commission on Scottish Devolution.

Michael Moore: The coalition Government's commitment to the implementation the recommendations in the Calman Report was clearly signalled by its inclusion within the coalition agreement. This was further underlined by the inclusion in the Queen's Speech of a commitment for legislation in the first Session.
	I am clear that we need to make early progress to meet this commitment and I have asked my officials to work for autumn introduction of a Bill to take forward those recommendations that require legislation. Work will continue on the non-legislative recommendations to a similar timetable.

Future Jobs Fund

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people resident in  (a) Glasgow North East,  (b) the City of Glasgow and  (c) Scotland have found employment through the Future Jobs Fund since 2008; and how many young people aged between 18 and 24 years resident in (i) Glasgow North East, (ii) the City of Glasgow and (iii) Scotland will lose entitlement to a job offer or training under the Jobs Guarantee in the first 12 months after the ending of the Future Jobs Fund.

Michael Moore: Nearly 11,000 jobs in Scotland have been approved for funding through the Future Jobs Fund from October 2008 to March 2011, at least 1,166 of which are in the Glasgow local authority area.
	Information for  (a) and  (b) is not available. The latest Official Statistics published on 26 May 2010 show that 830 people started Future Jobs Fund jobs in Scotland from October 2009 to January 2010.
	In relation to (i), (ii) and (iii), the Young Person's Guarantee will continue to provide a guaranteed offer of a job, training or work experience. The Government will ensure that people continue to have access to employment support prior to the implementation of the new Work Programme outlined in the Programme for Government.

General Elections

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with the Scottish Executive and Scottish returning officers on plans to hold the next general election on 7 May 2015.

Michael Moore: The issue was raised when the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister and I-together with other Cabinet colleagues-met the First Minister and his counterparts from the other devolved Administrations at the Joint Ministerial Committee on 8 June.

Public Expenditure

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what his most recent estimate is of the level of per capita public expenditure in Scotland in 2010-11.

Michael Moore: HM Treasury's Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses provide the most recent estimate for public expenditure per capita in Scotland for 2010-11, but this does not include local authority spending. The most recent estimate for 2010-11 stands at £7,127 per capita.

TREASURY

Child Trust Fund: Wigan

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people have opened child trust fund accounts in Wigan constituency at  (a) the standard rate and  (b) the higher rate; and how much the Government have contributed to such accounts to date.

Mark Hoban: Statistical information about child trust funds is published on HM Revenue and Customs' website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/ctf/stats.htm.
	This shows that 5,277 children born on or before 6 April 2008 in the then Wigan constituency have a child trust fund account.

Debts: Developing Countries

Tony Baldry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  when he expects to publish his Department's review of vulture funds; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  when he expects his Department to complete its review of vulture funds; and what form of consultation he intends to undertake on this matter.

Mark Hoban: holding answer 10 June 2010
	The coalition programme for Government stated:
	"We will review what action can be taken against 'vulture funds'."
	The Debt Relief (Developing Countries) Act 2010 passed through Parliament in April and will mean that UK courts of law will no longer be used to pursue excessive claims against some of the poorest countries on their historic debts, ensuring that resources are available to tackle poverty. The sunset clause attached to this legislation requires that the Government review within a year whether or not to extend the Act.

Union Flag

Ian Austin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his policy is on flying the Union flag each day from each official building for which his Department is responsible.

Justine Greening: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport issues guidance for the flying of the Union flag on UK Government buildings. The guidance encourages the Union flag to be flown 365 days a year, and as a minimum all Departments must fly the Union flag on the 19 special designated days (e.g. Queen's birthday, Remembrance Day, etc), and other special occasions as required (e.g. State Opening of Parliament).
	More information on the guidance is available online at:
	http://www.culture.gov.uk/what_we_do/honours/7124.aspx
	HM Treasury has three buildings throughout England in which this guidance is followed.

Legislative Reform (Industrial and Provident Societies and Credit Unions) Order 2010

Chris Evans: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to lay the Legislative Reform (Industrial and Provident Societies and Credit Unions) Order 2010 before Parliament.

Mark Hoban: The draft Legislative Reform (Industrial and Provident Societies and Credit Unions) Order 2010 was laid before Parliament on 8 March 2010 using the super affirmative procedure.

Office for Budget Responsibility

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the Office for Budget Responsibility will have responsibilities other than those currently undertaken by his Department and the Bank of England.

Justine Greening: The Terms of Reference for the interim Office for Budget Responsibility were published on 8 June alongside a written ministerial statement from the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Copies of the document are available in the Vote Office and have been deposited in the Libraries of the House.

Office for Budget Responsibility

Chris Evans: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the annual running costs of the Office for Budget Responsibility.

Justine Greening: The interim Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) is funded from within HM Treasury's existing departmental budget.
	Sir Alan Budd, as Chair of the Budget Responsibility Committee, will be advising the Chancellor on the arrangements for the permanent OBR. The annual running costs of the office will depend on decisions taken on the basis of this advice.

Private Finance Initiative

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the liabilities incurred under the private finance initiative between 1997 and 2010 which have not been recorded as comprising a proportion of the public sector net cash requirement.

Danny Alexander: HM Treasury publishes actual and estimated annual unitary charge payment for each signed PFI contract for each year of operation on the HM Treasury website:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/ppp_pfi_stats.htm
	The interim Office for Budget Responsibility will consider the reporting of public sector liabilities, including those relating to the private finance initiative.

Tax Allowances: Vocational Training

Tom Watson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how much income tax relief was claimed by self-employed people to meet the costs of training provision in the latest year for which figures are available;
	(2)  how many employees claimed a deduction from earnings on expenses that they incurred wholly, exclusively and necessarily for the purposes of training under section 336 of the Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003 in the latest year for which figures are available;
	(3)  how much companies claimed in income tax relief to meet the costs of expenditure on training for their employees in the latest year for which figures are available.

David Gauke: This information is not available. Neither self-employed individuals nor employers are required to report these amounts separately to HM Revenue and Customs. If amounts are not taxable, employers need not report them at all.

Tax Avoidance and Evasion

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he plans to take to reduce the level of tax  (a) avoidance and  (b) evasion; and if he will make a statement.

David Gauke: The Government are committed to tackling tax avoidance and evasion, and will bring forward measures where necessary in future Budgets and pre-Budget Reports to address these risks.
	HMRC set out its compliance strategy and the approach to reducing tax gaps in "Protecting Tax Revenues 2009" , available at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/pbr2009/protect-tax-revenue-5450.pdf

Unemployment

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what account he takes of unemployment statistics in the formulation of fiscal policy.

Justine Greening: The Chancellor takes account of all relevant economic and financial variables, including the level of unemployment, in the formulation of fiscal policy.
	For the 22 June Budget, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) will make an independent assessment of the public finances and the economy, including the labour market. The OBR will publish this assessment on 14 June.

VAT

Christopher Chope: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will bring forward proposals to put on a statutory basis the concession whereby small business may pay value added tax in three instalments monthly instead of quarterly.

David Gauke: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) runs the Business Payment Support Service (BPSS) to help viable businesses in temporary financial difficulties spread their tax payments over a timetable they can afford. The BPSS operates under HMRC's statutory responsibility for the collection and management of VAT and other revenues. Since its launch in November 2008, the BPSS has helped over 200,000 businesses.
	HMRC operates two other schemes to help small businesses, whose taxable turnover in the coming year is not expected to exceed £1.35 million, to even out VAT payments:
	1. The Annual Accounting scheme allows businesses to spread their VAT payments evenly by paying monthly or quarterly instalments towards their annual VAT bill.
	2. The Cash Accounting scheme allows businesses to account for VAT only when they make or receive payment (rather than on the issue of an invoice, under normal accounting rules). This can provide a cash flow benefit, especially where customers pay late.
	Both schemes are set out in legislation.

Wigan

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  for what public spending projects within  (a) Wigan constituency and  (b) the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan his Department secured Treasury approval between 1 January 2010 and the date of his appointment as Secretary of State;
	(2)  which public spending projects in  (a) Wigan constituency and  (b) the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan for which approval has been granted he is reviewing.

Danny Alexander: The Government are re-assessing spending approvals granted between 1 January 2010 and the general election to ensure that they are affordable, offer good value for money and are consistent with the Government's priorities. Further announcements will be made in due course.

WOMEN AND EQUALITIES

Departmental Official Cars

Ian Austin: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what the  (a) make,  (b) model and  (c) place of manufacture is of the car allocated for the use of each Minister in the Government Equalities Office.

Lynne Featherstone: The Government Equalities Office has no cars allocated to its Ministers.
	Arrangements are changing following the publication of the new Ministerial Code which contains changes that affect ministerial entitlement to travel by Government car. The Code states that:
	"the number of Ministers with allocated cars and drivers will be kept to a minimum, taking into account security and other relevant considerations. Other Ministers will be entitled to use cars from the Government Car Service Pool as needed".
	Cabinet Office has provided clarification on how the Code should be interpreted. The expectation is that Ministers not in the Cabinet will use the pool service and that Cabinet Ministers who have an allocated car will wish to consider how that car might be utilised by other Ministers within the Department before calls are made on the Government Car Service Pool.
	The Department for Transport and its Government Car and Despatch Agency are working with Departments to effect the transition to the new arrangements.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Future Jobs Fund

Ian Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what representations he has received on his plans for the future jobs fund; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Grayling: I have received virtually no direct representations on plans for the future jobs fund.
	The future jobs fund has closed to new bids; however, we will continue to create over 100,000 opportunities. The Government will also be investing £150 million to create 50,000 new apprenticeship places. This investment will provide long-lasting benefits rather than temporary changes to unemployment.
	Next year we will introduce our new Work Programme, which will bring better targeted and more effective support to young people and the unemployed.

Future Jobs Fund

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the future jobs fund in helping the unemployed into work.

Chris Grayling: The fund is not delivering the numbers it promised-the previous Government funded providers to create 25,000 jobs by the end of January but figures show that they managed fewer than 9,000.
	It is also the most expensive element of the young person's guarantee. At up to £6,500 per person, it is over five times more expensive than other elements of the guarantee.

Future Jobs Fund

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many young people have found employment as a result of the future jobs fund in  (a) the west midlands and  (b) Coventry.

Chris Grayling: The latest Official Statistics covering the period October 2009 to January 2010 show that 790 young people in the west midlands have started future jobs fund jobs. Information for Coventry is not available.

Future Jobs Fund

Liz Kendall: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has for the future jobs fund in Leicester; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Grayling: The Government will honour all grants that have been agreed. This includes a number of grant agreements covering Leicester, including from the city and county councils. We will ensure that people continue to have access to employment support prior to the implementation of the Work Programme. This will provide a comprehensive range of targeted and effective support.

Future Jobs Fund

Natascha Engel: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment has been made of the effects of his plans for ending the future jobs fund on levels of unemployment of young people.

Chris Grayling: The future jobs fund has not ended. It will continue to create jobs until March 2011 and create up to 111,000 jobs in that time. Based on evidence from previous job creation schemes, it is unlikely that there will be any discernible impact on youth unemployment as a result of the fund ending.

Future Jobs Fund

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent estimate he has made of the likely level of savings arising from the ending of the future jobs fund; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Grayling: The closure of the future jobs fund to new bids will save £290 million in the 2010-11 financial year.
	We will make further efficiencies by improving the grant management process introduced by the previous Government. This will ensure that overpayments are recovered promptly and that providers deliver the jobs on time.

Young People: Long-term Employment

Richard Harrington: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans his Department has to promote long-term employment for young people.

Chris Grayling: Youth unemployment is unacceptably high. We will introduce a new single Work Programme in the first half of 2011, which offers young people targeted personalised help. This will be delivered through the best of private and voluntary sector providers. We will ensure that young people continue to have access to employment support prior to the implementation of the Work Programme.

Unemployment

Dominic Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues on reducing levels of unemployment.

Iain Duncan Smith: One of our top priorities is to reduce the number of people-nearly 5 million-on incapacity, lone parent or jobseekers benefits.
	We will reform the benefits system to make work pay, reassess the position of people on incapacity benefit and introduce the Work Programme, a single, integrated package of support, to give people the personalised support they need to find work.

Early Intervention

Graham Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues on measures to promote early intervention.

Iain Duncan Smith: I have had regular discussions with the Secretary of State for Education, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury and other colleagues about measures to promote early intervention and its impact on childhood disadvantage. We will set out our strategy to tackle child poverty by March 2011.
	We look forward to working with colleagues and stakeholders to ensure that tackling poverty and disadvantage in the most effective ways is a priority at every level of Government and that all parts of society play their part in achieving our goal. The establishment of the Social Justice Committee will ensure that we take a joined-up approach across Government.

Benefits

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he plans to take to increase take-up of benefits.

Steve Webb: Latest estimates of take-up of all income-related benefits in 2008-09 were published on 10 June 2010. The figures show that there was £38.1 billion claimed across all income-related benefits representing between around 75% and 85% take-up by expenditure. Expenditure take-up by pensioners was between 71% and 81%. The Take-Up report is available online at:
	http://www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/irb.asp
	We want to make sure that everyone is getting all the help that they are entitled to. Our aim is to simplify the benefit system and as a first step we will be looking to conduct a research study into the feasibility of using existing data to make automatic awards of pension credit.

Departmental Manpower

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many full-time equivalent staff at each Civil Service grade are employed in the private office of each Minister in his Department.

Chris Grayling: The following full-time equivalent staff were recruited by the previous Administration to work within each Minister's private office as follows;
	
		
			   Number 
			  Secretary of State  
			 SCS 1 
			 G7 2 
			 SEO 0 
			 HEO 4 
			 EO 1 
			   
			  Minister of State for Employment  
			 SCS 0 
			 G7 1 
			 SEO 1 
			 HEO 4 
			 EO 1 
			   
			  Minister of State for Pensions  
			 SCS 0 
			 G7 1 
			 SEO 0 
			 HEO 3 
			 EO 1 
			   
			  Minister for Disabled People  
			 SCS 0 
			 G7 1 
			 SEO 0 
			 HEO 1 
			 EO 3 
			   
			  Lords Minister-Minister for Welfare Reform  
			 SCS 0 
			 G7 1 
			 SEO 0 
			 HEO 1 
			 EO 3 
			   
			  Temporary staff (interns)  
			 EO 5 
			 Total 5

Funeral Payments

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when the maximum amount payable as a funeral payment was last increased.

Steve Webb: The maximum amount payable to cover disbursements, including funeral directors' fees and items such as the coffin, has been £700 since April 2003. Cremation and burial costs, including the purchase of a grave, are met in full. The average funeral payment awarded in 2009-10 was £1,208.

Future Jobs Fund: West Midlands

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in  (a) Dudley North,  (b) the borough of Dudley and  (c) the west midlands have been placed into employment through the Future Jobs Fund.

Chris Grayling: The information requested is not available.

Future Jobs Fund: Wigan

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people resident in  (a) Wigan constituency and  (b) Wigan local authority area are participating in the future jobs fund.

Chris Grayling: The information requested is not available.

Incapacity Benefit

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he expects to  (a) commence and  (b) complete the reassessment of those in receipt of incapacity benefit; and what recent changes to this timetable there have been.

Chris Grayling: The process of moving incapacity benefit recipients on to a more active benefit regime and giving them the support they need is a serious priority. We will be doing everything to complete this process as quickly as possible, while ensuring the most vulnerable are supported appropriately.
	We will be testing and learning from a small-scale trial, which will run from October 2010. Full migration will begin in early 2011. We expect it to be completed over three years. There have been no recent changes to this timetable.

Incapacity Benefit

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the timetable is for the Government's planned re-assessment of all current claimants of incapacity benefit for their readiness to work; and whether any targets have been set for the number of people to be removed from incapacity benefit through this re-assessment.

Chris Grayling: We will be testing and learning from a small-scale trial which will run from October 2010. Full migration will not begin until April 2011. We expect it to be completed in 2014.
	All claimants will be removed from incapacity benefits. No targets have been set regarding which benefit claimants will be placed. They will be moved on to either employment and support allowance or other benefits appropriate to their circumstances.

Industrial Diseases: Compensation

Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he plans to publish a response to the accessing compensation consultation; and what steps the Government plan to take to ensure that people who are injured or made ill by their work obtain the compensation to which they are entitled.

Chris Grayling: The public consultation closed on 5 May 2010. We are currently considering the replies we received and we will publish our response to the consultation in due course.

Industrial Health and Safety

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of health and safety incidents reported to the Health and Safety Executive in each year since 2000 were reported by a trade union official.

Chris Grayling: The information requested is not available.

Industrial Health and Safety: North East

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many industrial health and safety incidents were reported to the Health and Safety Executive in the north-east in each year since 2000; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Grayling: HSE collects data on workplace health and safety incidents through the RIDDOR reporting system (Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations). HSE routinely collates injury data at a regional level for reported workplace injuries. Data are also collected on reported dangerous occurrences and gas safety incidents.
	Available figures for the north-east, for incidents reported to HSE, are provided in the following table:
	
		
			   Number of reported injuries  Number of reported dangerous occurrences  Number of reported flammable gas incidents  Number of reported dangerous gas fittings 
			 2001-02 6,914 174 12 278 
			 2002-03 6,687 144 10 110 
			 2003-04 6,985 175 5 204 
			 2004-05 6,236 143 5 171 
			 2005-06 6,080 205 3 142 
			 2006-07 6,176 176 2 157 
			 2007-08 5,709 188 11 233 
			 2008-09(1) 5,835 158 13 163 
			 (1) Provisional.

Jobseeker's Allowance: North-East

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his most recent estimate is of the amount which will be paid out in jobseeker's allowance over the next  (a) 12,  (b) 24 and  (c) 36 months in (i) the north-east and (ii) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency.

Chris Grayling: The information requested is not available.

Social Fund

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he plans to review the benefits of which those making an application for assistance under the social fund must be in receipt prior to submitting their application.

Steve Webb: The social fund comprises certain regulated payments and discretionary grants and loans. Access to the social fund is usually dependent on receipt of a qualifying benefit. Qualifying benefits are specified income-related benefits and, for certain payments, tax credits. Crisis loans can be paid to people on and off benefit.
	We currently have no plans to make any changes but will be keeping eligibility for the social fund under continuous review.

State Retirement Pensions

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his policy is on changing the state pension age.

Steve Webb: Our objective is to ensure that the state pension remains affordable over time. To help achieve this, the state pension age needs to take account of increases in life expectancy. We have announced we will hold a review to determine when it should be increased to 66.

State Retirement Pensions

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners in the UK are in receipt of the state pension.

Steve Webb: As at November 2009, there were 11,312,350 state pension recipients in Great Britain. Information regarding Northern Ireland is a matter for the Northern Ireland Office.
	 Note:
	Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.
	 Source:
	DWP Information Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study

State Second Pension

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what change he expects to propose to state second pension payments in 2010-11.

Steve Webb: The legislation which governs the annual review of the rates of benefits and pensions requires that state second pension and additional elements of the state pension are increased each year in line with the growth in prices. The fact that they stayed the same in April 2010 was due to negative price inflation. Under this legislation, when prices continue growing as normal, state second pension and additional elements of the state pension must be increased by that growth.

Unemployment Benefits: Disability

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his policy is on the provision of support for people who are unable to work as a result of disability.

Maria Miller: The Government recognise that some people will not be able to work, or prepare for work, because of a disability. These people will receive unconditional support and will be able to have help to find employment on a voluntary basis.
	Financial support for those who are unable to work will be through cash benefits, such as disability living allowance and the employment and support allowance (replacing incapacity benefits).

Unemployment Benefits: Pendle

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people of working age in Pendle  (a) are in receipt of out-of-work benefits and  (b) have been in receipt of such benefits for at least nine of the last 10 years.

Chris Grayling: The most recent available information on those people in receipt of out-of-work benefits is in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of claimants in receipt of out-of-work benefits in Great Britain (GB) and abroad, and the Pendle parliamentary constituency as at November 2009 
			   GB and abroad  Pendle 
			 All 4,998,790 8,740 
			 JSA 1,469,920 2,040 
			 IB/SDA/ESA 2,658,880 5,510 
			 IS 869,990 1,190 
			  Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Benefits are arranged hierarchically and claimants are assigned to the topmost benefit which they receive. 3. JSA-claimant of jobseeker's allowance. 4. IB/SDA/ESA-claimant of incapacity benefit or severe disablement allowance or employment and support allowance. 5. IS-income Support claimants include lone parents and those not included in the IB/SDA figure.  Source: DWP Information Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study. Information on those who have been in receipt of out of work benefits for at least nine of the last 10 years is not available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Union Flag

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her policy is on flying the Union flag each day from each official building for which her Department is responsible.

Nick Herbert: My Department flies the Union flag on 365 days of the year at those buildings which have flagpoles.

Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many special advisers  (a) she and  (b) each named Minister in her Department (i) has appointed to date and (ii) plans to appoint.

Nick Herbert: I refer to the answer given by the Prime Minister on 3 June 2010,  Official Report, column 99W.

Departmental Public Appointments

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) political appointments and  (b) other personal appointments she has made since her appointment; and at what estimated annual cost to the public purse.

Nick Herbert: I refer to the answer given by the Prime Minister on 3 June 2010,  Official Report, column 99W.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when and in what form she plans to publish a list of all items of expenditure by her Department over £25,000.

Nick Herbert: The Prime Minister has written to Cabinet Ministers reiterating transparency commitments made in the Coalition Programme for Government, and setting out a timetable for achieving them. In particular, all new items of central Government spending over £25,000 will be published online in an open format from November 2010.

Drugs: Crime

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been  (a) arrested and  (b) jailed as a result of offences committed under the terms of the Drugs Act 2005.

James Brokenshire: The information requested on arrests is not held centrally.
	The arrests collection held by the Home Office covers arrests for recorded crime (notifiable offences) only, broken down at a main offence group level, covering categories such as violence against the person and drug offences. From these centrally reported categories it is not possible to separately identify arrests made under the Drugs Act 2005.
	Data on immediate custodial sentences under the Act, provided by the Ministry of Justice, can be found in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of immediate custodial sentences under the Drugs Act 2005, 2005-08 
			   2005  2006  2007  2008 
			 Failure to attend or stay the duration of an initial assessment(1) 0 1 4 1 
			 Failure to attend or stay the duration of a follow up assessment(2) 0 0 3 3 
			 (1) s.12 (3) and (4) Drugs Act 2005 (2) s.14 (3) and (4) Drugs Act 2005  Notes: 1. These figures have been drawn from administrative data systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system. 2. These data have been taken from the Ministry of Justice Court Proceedings database. These data are presented on the principal offence basis. Where an offender has been sentenced for more than one offence the principal offence is the one for which the heaviest sentence was imposed. Where the same sentence has been imposed for two or more offences the principal offence is the one for which the statutory maximum is most severe. 3. Excludes data for Cardiff magistrates court for April, July, and August 2008.  Source: Justice Statistics-Analytical Services, Ministry of Justice Ref: SENT(JSAS)164-10 (09/06/2010)

Firearms

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many  (a) firearm registrations and  (b) gun-related crimes there were in 2008-09;
	(2)  if she will take steps to ensure that the eligibility criteria for a shotgun certificate are brought into line with those for a firearm certificate so that a justification for ownership is required to be provided at the time of application;
	(3)  if she will bring forward proposals to reduce the period of time for which a firearm ownership certificate is valid;
	(4)  what assessment she has made of the merits of a limit on the number of firearms that can be owned under one firearms certificate.

James Brokenshire: I refer to the statement given by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary on 3 June 2010,  Official Report, column 592. The Government will lead a full debate about our current gun laws once we know more about the tragic shootings in Cumbria.

Firearms

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what her most recent estimate is of the percentage of gun-related crimes in which the intentional use of firearms has resulted in death;
	(2)  what percentage of firearm-related crime resulted in fatal or serious injury in 2008-09; and what percentage of such crime involved  (a) rifles and  (b) shotguns.

James Brokenshire: Firearms (including air weapons) were reported to have been used in 14,250 recorded crimes in 2008-09. Firearms are taken to be involved in a crime if they are fired, used as a blunt instrument or used as a threat. A fatal or serious injury was incurred in 3% of these offences (431 offences), including 0.06% that involved rifles (eight offences) and 0.51% that involved shotguns (72 offences).
	From information collected centrally it is not possible to determine whether or not firearms had been used intentionally, though it is worth noting that the firearm offences database includes only those incidents that police forces have initially recorded as crimes.

Firearms

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what percentage of recorded crime involved a firearm in 2008-09;
	(2)  how many recorded crimes involving a firearm there were in  (a) 2008 and  (b) 2009;
	(3)  what percentage of recorded crime involving a firearm involved  (a) shotguns,  (b) rifles and  (c) imitation weapons in 2008-09.

James Brokenshire: Available information was included in the most recent chapter on offences involving firearms, published in the Home Office Statistical Bulletin 01/10 in January 2010. Firearms are taken to be involved in a crime if they are fired, used as a blunt instrument or used as a threat.
	Firearms (including air weapons) were reported to have been used in 14,250 recorded crimes in 2008-09. These accounted for 0.3% of all recorded crimes, or one in every 330. Firearm offences as a proportion of all recorded crime by principal weapon category are shown in the table.
	
		
			  Offences recorded by the police in which firearms were reported to have been used( 1) , by weapon type: England and Wales, 2008-09 
			  Principal weapon  Number of offences  % of all recorded crime 
			 Shotgun 619 0.01 
			 Handgun 4,275 0.09 
			 Rifle 89 0.00 
			 Imitation firearm 1,511 0.03 
			 Unidentified firearm 953 0.02 
			 Other firearm 761 0.02 
			 All firearms excluding air weapons 8,208 0.17 
			
			 Air weapon 6,042 0.13 
			 Total 14,250 0.30 
			 (1) By weapon being fired, used as a blunt instrument or as a threat.

Firearms

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for possession of a firearm were  (a) rejected and  (b) rejected due to mental health issues in 2008-09.

James Brokenshire: The Home Office does not use the term "rejection" but publishes the number of refusals of firearm certificates. In the period between 1 April 2008 and 31 March 2009, 133 new applications, 24 renewal applications and 22 variation applications were refused. Thus, in total 179 applications for firearm certificates were refused. The Home Office does not hold any information on the reasons for the refusals.
	All available data are published in the National Statistics Bulletin "Firearm Certificates in England and Wales 2008/09" at the following link:
	http://rds.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs10/hosb0510.pdf

Firearms

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  in how many cases in 2008-09 those owning a firearm and wanting to renew their licence have had it revoked; and of these cases, what number have been related to mental health;
	(2)  how many holders of a licence for the possession of a firearm had their licence  (a) revoked and  (b) revoked due to mental health issues when seeking to renew their licence in 2008-09.

James Brokenshire: The Home Office only holds data on the total number of revocations. In the period between 1 April 2008 and 31 March 2009, 260 firearm certificates were revoked. The Home Office does not hold any information on the reasons for the revocations.
	All available data are published in the National Statistics Bulletin "Firearm Certificates in England and Wales 2008/09" at the following link:
	http://rds.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs10/hosb0510.pdf

Forced Marriage

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the number of forced marriages which occurred in  (a) Lancashire and  (b) England in each of the last five years.

Jeremy Browne: I have been asked to reply.
	Due to the underground nature of forced marriage it is very difficult to estimate the scale of this practice in the UK and it is therefore likely that many cases go unreported.
	The Forced Marriage Unit (FMU), a joint unit of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Home Office, was established in 2005 as the 'one-stop shop' for dealing with forced marriage policy, outreach and casework. It operates both inside the UK, where support is provided to any individual, and overseas, where consular assistance is provided to British nationals, including dual nationals.
	The FMU collects data on (i) the number of reports it receives relating to possible forced marriages and (ii) the number of cases where the FMU provides direct support to a victim in the UK or overseas. Data on the number of reports made to the FMU relating to possible forced marriages were not collected prior to 2008. Data collected since then are recorded by UK region (where this is known) and are not broken down further. Data on the number of cases where the FMU provided direct support are available from 2005. Details are as follows:
	 Reports to the FMU relating to possible forced marriage
	In 2008: 1,618 total reports across the UK. Of these, 1,252 reports were from England (where the region was known) and 197 of these reports originated from the north-west of England (where the region was known).
	In 2009: 1,682 total reports across the UK. Of these, 1,200 reports were from England (where the region was known) and 210 originated from the north-west of England (where the region was known).
	 Cases where the FMU gave direct support to victims of forced marriage in the UK or overseas
	In 2009: 377 cases, including both assistance and immigration cases.
	In 2008: 430 cases, including both assistance and immigration cases.
	In 2007: 262 cases, including both assistance and immigration cases.
	In 2006: 197 cases, including both assistance and immigration cases.
	In 2005: 152 cases, including both assistance and immigration cases.

Incitement: Internet

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether a Ministerial cross-Government champion on reducing incitement on the internet has been appointed.

James Brokenshire: The Home Office is looking at the challenges posed by hate crime on the internet. As part of this process, we will look at how work on this issue is led across Government.

Independent Police Complaints Commission

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many former police officers are engaged by the Independent Police Complaints Commission to undertake investigations into their former forces; and if she will take steps to end that practice.

Nick Herbert: The Independent Police Complaints Commission has a team of investigators from varying backgrounds. The way in which they are deployed is an operational matter for the IPCC, which will write to the hon. Member direct.

Independent Police Complaints Commission: Standards

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how long on average it took the Police Complaints Commission to investigate and report on complaints in each of the last three years.

Nick Herbert: The Home Office does not hold this information. This is a matter for the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC). The IPCC will write to the hon. Member about the information sought.

Passports: Fraud

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the outcome was of the investigation by the Serious Organised Crime Agency into the use of counterfeit British passports in the killing of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh on 19 January 2010; what co-operation the Agency received from the Government of Israel; what discussions  (a) officials and Ministers of her Department,  (b) officials of the Identity and Passport Service and  (c) officials of the Serious Organised Crime Agency have had on the issue with representatives of the Government of Israel; what the outcome of such discussions was; and if she will make a statement.

Nick Herbert: holding answer 10 June 2010
	The outcome of the Serious Organised Crime Agency's investigation was reported by the then Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary in his statement to the House of 23 March.
	An officer of the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) had discussions with the Israeli police but there were no discussions between representatives of the Government of Israel and Home Office Ministers, officials of the Department, officials of the Identity and Passport Service, or officers of SOCA.

Police: Training

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average cost to the public purse of training a police recruit to the point of joining a police force as an officer was in the latest period for which figures are available.

Nick Herbert: There is no fixed training cost for training for police officers. The responsibility for delivery of training to new officers was devolved to police forces in England and Wales in 2006.

TRANSPORT

A31: Ferndown

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to improve traffic flows at the Canford Bottom roundabout on the A31.

Michael Penning: Various studies have been undertaken by the Highways Agency, and a scheme is being developed to install traffic signals on the Canford Bottom roundabout and to create a two-way dual carriageway through the central island. These alterations are designed to reduce congestion on the A31 east and westbound carriageways on the approach to the roundabout. Traffic modelling indicates that traffic flows at peak times on local roads converging at this junction would also improve.

Departmental Official Cars

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his policy is on the use by Ministers in his Department of cars allocated from  (a) his Department's pool and  (b) the Government car pool which are manufactured in the UK; whether Ministers in his Department are entitled to request the use of a car manufactured in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Penning: Most Departments have no car pool of their own. The sole exceptions are the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Ministry of Defence.
	The Government's policy is that Ministers may make use of the Government Car Service (GCS) under the terms of the recently announced ministerial code. This states that
	"the number of Ministers with allocated cars and drivers will be kept to a minimum, taking into account security and other relevant considerations. Other Ministers will be entitled to use cars from the Government Car Service pool as needed".
	Departmental Ministers without an allocated car will be expected to make use of the Secretary of State's allocated car, if there is one available, before calling on the car pool.
	UK manufactured cars make up a relatively small proportion (around 16%) of the current GCS fleet, most of which is comprised of low carbon emission hybrid vehicles manufactured abroad. Changed rules for allocation of cars and the need to reduce the cost of operating the Government Car Service mean that vehicle replacement is likely to be restricted in the immediate future, necessarily limiting the options for reconfiguring the fleet without incurring additional cost. For reasons of efficient and economic fleet management, it is not practical for Ministers to specify a particular vehicle or type of vehicle for a journey in a pool service car.

Departmental Public Appointments

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many  (a) political appointments and  (b) other personal appointments he has made since his appointment; and at what estimated annual cost to the public purse.

Philip Hammond: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Prime Minister on 3 June 2010,  Official Report, column 99W.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much funding per capita his Department has allocated to each region for the next 12 months.

Philip Hammond: holding answer 8 June 2010
	My Department does not allocate funding on a per capita basis. Part of the available funding is allocated on a regional basis and other funding is allocated to specific projects according to national priorities.

Driving Tests

David Mowat: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he plans to undertake a review of all driving test centre closures.

Michael Penning: We have no plans to undertake a general review of all driving test centre closures.
	We are committed to operating a public service for driver testing that offers good value for money and reasonable access to candidates.
	The location of particular centres will continue to be determined by the operational suitability of the location, the local demand for the service and the cost of operating there.

Midland Main Railway Line

Angela Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has for the future funding of improvements to the Midland Main Line to reduce journey times between London, St Pancras and Sheffield.

Theresa Villiers: Network Rail currently has plans to make substantial improvements to the line by 2014. The plans include measures to enhance the capability of the infrastructure on the Midland Main Line to deliver faster journey times.

Railways: Construction

Glenda Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will include within the High Speed Two Exceptional Hardship Scheme consultation people affected on tunnelled stretches of the proposed route.

Philip Hammond: The Government are currently consulting on an Exceptional Hardship Scheme in relation to the proposed high speed line from London to the west midlands. The consultation is due to end on 17 June and we have received a number of responses from people living over or near tunnelled sections of the route. We will look carefully at the suggestions made by all respondents in deciding how to proceed.

Road Traffic: Harlow

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate his Department has made of levels of traffic congestion in Harlow constituency in each year from 1997 to 2009.

Michael Penning: Estimates of congestion are available for local authorities, but not at lower levels of geography such as parliamentary constituencies.
	Estimates are available for the county of Essex, which includes Harlow constituency, but excludes the Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock unitary authorities.
	These estimates show that in 2008-09 the average vehicle journey time during the morning peak on key local authority routes was unchanged from 2007-08, at 2 minutes and 11 seconds per mile.
	Estimates prior to 2007-08 are not available, but more information and estimates for all local authorities in England are available on the Department's website at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/statistics/datatablespublications/roadstraffic/traffic/qbtrafficgb/2010/q12010

Shipping: Minimum Wage

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made by the working group convened by his Department to consider the respective legal advice received by the Department and trade unions on applying the national minimum wage to seafarers working on non-UK registered vessels travelling between UK ports; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Penning: There have been no meetings of the working group mentioned. I wish to look afresh at the issues and evidence presented before taking further steps.

Speed Limits

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has considered the responses to his Department's speed limit consultation of December 2009, with particular reference to 20mph zones; and if he will produce a revised speed limit circular in accordance with the proposals in the consultation.

Michael Penning: I am considering the previous Government's proposals on local speed limit guidance, and responses received to those proposals. We will set out our position on road safety and speed policy over the coming months, including how we will work with local authorities on implementing these policies.

Traffic Management Act 2004

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he plans to bring into force each of those provisions of the Traffic Management Act 2004 which have not yet been brought into force.

Norman Baker: I am considering the appropriateness and timing of the implementation of the remaining Traffic Management Act 2004 provisions, in the context of the Government's fundamental review of regulations.

Travel: Energy

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions his Department had with the Energy Saving Trust on the environmental effects of the materials used in the Trust's marketing campaign promoting a free travel energy check.

Norman Baker: The Department for Transport has not had any discussions with the Energy Saving Trust (EST) about this matter. EST has a corporate sustainability policy that looks to minimise the environmental impact of all marketing materials it commissions. The transport energy check materials have been printed on 100% recycled and chlorine-free paper which is sourced from paper mills with approved environmental systems.

WALES

Departmental Internet

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the URL is of each website managed by her Department.

David Jones: The information is as follows:
	www.walesoffice.gov.uk
	and
	www.swyddfa.cymru.gov.uk

Departmental Manpower

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many staff her Department employed on the most recent date for which figures are available; and what the annual staff cost was.

Cheryl Gillan: As at 31 March 2010, 58 staff (of a total staff complement of 65) were employed in the Wales Office; and the annual staff cost was £3,641,984.

Departmental Meetings

Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what meetings she has had with the Wales Trades Union Congress since her appointment.

Cheryl Gillan: A meeting has been arranged for 15 June.

Departmental Meetings

Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what meetings she has had with CBI Wales since her appointment.

Cheryl Gillan: I met CBI Wales in Cardiff on 28 May 2010. It has also been arranged for me to speak at the CBI Wales annual lunch on 18 June 2010.

Departmental Meetings

Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what meetings she has had with the Federation of Small Businesses Wales since her appointment.

Cheryl Gillan: My senior officials met the Federation of Small Businesses Wales on 11 June during which arrangements were set in motion for me to meet them in the near future.

Departmental Meetings

Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what meetings she has had with the Welsh Local Government Association since her appointment.

Cheryl Gillan: I met the Welsh Local Government Association on 28 May in Cardiff.

Departmental Meetings

Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what meetings she has had with the First Minister of Wales since her appointment; and what was discussed at those meetings.

Cheryl Gillan: I have met the First Minister five times since my appointment and we have had numerous telephone conversations. We have discussed a wide range of issues.

Departmental Meetings

Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many times she has met with the Deputy First Minister of Wales since her appointment; and what was discussed in those meetings.

Cheryl Gillan: I have met the Deputy First Minister on four occasions and had one telephone conversation with him. Discussions focused on a range of issues affecting Wales.

Departmental Meetings

Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales 
	(1)  what meetings she has had with the Welsh Assembly Minister for Heritage since her appointment;
	(2)  what meetings she has had with the Welsh Assembly Government Minister for Rural Affairs since her appointment;
	(3)  what meetings she has had with the Welsh Assembly Government Deputy Minister for Housing since her appointment.

Cheryl Gillan: I asked the First Minister if I could meet the Assembly Cabinet. This has been arranged for 5 July 2010.

Departmental Pay

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much was paid in bonuses to civil servants in her Department in 2008.

Cheryl Gillan: In 2008 the total amount paid to civil service staff in bonuses was £8,150.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Armed Conflict: Diamonds

Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment has been made of the effectiveness of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme in ensuring that trade in diamonds does not fund violence.

Henry Bellingham: Neither the Government nor the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) have formally reviewed the effectiveness of the KPCS in preventing the trade in diamonds from funding violence. However, compliance with KPCS requirements is monitored and evaluated through a 'peer review' system. Teams of experts representing KPCS Governments, civil society groups and industry visit selected KPCS states every year to review implementation of the KPCS and if necessary investigate reports of diamonds contributing to violence. Review reports are discussed by KPCS members at the annual plenary and intersessional meetings. Action can be taken against states shown to be persistently failing to implement the KPCS, including suspension. The June 2010 KPCS intersessional in Tel Aviv will include looking at ways the KPCS can be more effective. The UK is attending as part of the EU delegation.

Colombia and Peru: EU External Trade

Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will bring forward proposals for the House to participate in the formulation of EU free trade agreements with  (a) Colombia and  (b) Peru.

Jeremy Browne: The negotiations for the EU Multi-Party Trade Agreement with Colombia and Peru were concluded in March. The Agreement will now undergo legal scrubbing and will then be translated. It will have to be determined whether the final agreement will need to be concluded by the EU and ratified by national Parliaments. Once the final text is available European Council legal advisers will determine whether it needs to be concluded by the EU and ratified by national Parliaments. In any event the Council decision on signature and conclusion of the agreement by the EU will be deposited for scrutiny with the EU Scrutiny Committee in both Houses.

Departmental Billing

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what percentage of invoices from suppliers to his Department were paid within 10 days of receipt in  (a) March and  (b) April 2010.

Alistair Burt: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office and its agencies paid 98.8% and 98.3% of supplier invoices within 10 days of receipt in March 2010 and April 2010 respectively.

Union Flag

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on flying the Union flag each day from each official building for which his Department is responsible.

Henry Bellingham: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) issues guidance for the flying of the Union flag on UK Government buildings. The guidance encourages the Union flag to be flown 365 days a year, and as a minimum all Departments must fly the Union flag on the 19 special designated days, for example HM the Queen's birthday, Remembrance Day, etc and other special occasions as required, for example, the State Opening of Parliament. More information on the guidance is available on the DCMS website:
	http://www.culture.gov.uk/what_we_do/honours/7124.aspx
	The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, flies the Union flag 365 days of the year on buildings in the United Kingdom. At our posts overseas the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (1961) provides in article 20 that:
	"The mission and its head shall have the right to use the flag and emblem of the sending state on the premises of the mission, including the residence of the head of mission, and on his means of transport".
	Missions in Commonwealth countries fly the Union flag; the Diplomatic flag is flown at diplomatic posts and the Consular flag is flown at consular posts.
	We advise our posts that the flag, whether that be Union, Diplomatic or Consular, be flown at the Chancery building on all working days during office hours. Flags at the Head of Mission's residence should be flown only on days of local celebration or mourning, on the 19 special designated days and during the stay of one of Her Majesty's ships.

Departmental Manpower

Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many staff are employed in each ministerial office in his Department.

Alistair Burt: I refer the hon. Member to my hon. Friend the Minister for Europe's response of 7 June 2010,  Official Report, column 22W.

Departmental Official Cars

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the  (a) make,  (b) model and  (c) place of manufacture is of the car allocated for the use of each Minister in his Department.

David Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has five cars allocated to its Ministers. Three Toyota Prius that were manufactured in Japan, one Vauxhall Vectra Diesel manufactured in Germany and one Jaguar XJL manufactured in the UK.
	These arrangements are changing following the publication of the new Ministerial Code which states that:
	"the number of Ministers with allocated cars and drivers will be kept to a minimum, taking into account security and other relevant considerations. Other Ministers will be entitled to use cars from the Government Car Service Pool as needed".
	Cabinet Office has provided clarification on how the Code should be interpreted. The expectation is that Ministers not in the Cabinet will use the pool service and that Cabinet Ministers who have an allocated car will wish to consider how that car might be utilised by other Ministers within the Department before calls are made on the Government Car Service Pool.
	The Department for Transport and its Government Car and Despatch Agency are working with Departments to effect the transition to the new arrangements.

Departmental Official Hospitality

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what budget his Department has allocated for entertainment, including alcohol, in each of the next three years.

Alistair Burt: In 2010-11 the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has currently budgeted £7.67 million on a wide range of activities designed to establish and cultivate contacts throughout its network of over 250 overseas posts as well as diplomatic activity in the UK. This represents under 0.9% of our annual discretionary departmental budget. Activities funded from this budget include working meetings with Ministers in the UK, meetings with senior political and military figures from host countries and events hosted for political and business delegations (including those in support of UKTI) abroad, to promote and defend wider British interests.
	Budgets in the FCO are devolved and funds currently earmarked for business hospitality purposes can and will be used to fund other activities in pursuit of FCO and wider Government objectives, both in the UK and in our posts overseas. These budgets were originally set earlier this year and are subject to review and further adjustment as part of our internal Quarterly Budget Review process.
	No budgets have been set for 2011-12 or 2012-13 and the FCO will decide allocations for these years in the light of the Spending Round that is expected to be conclude this autumn.
	Any expenditure on business hospitality is kept under rigorous scrutiny to ensure value for money and effectiveness and is incurred in accordance with the principles of Managing Public Money and the Treasury handbook on Regularity, Propriety and Value for Money.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his most recent estimate is of the annual cost to the public purse of the ministerial private offices in his Department.

Alistair Burt: In 2010-11 the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has currently budgeted £3.272 million for the administrative and civil service pay costs of ministerial private offices. This figure excludes the costs of ministerial travel which are published to Parliament on an annual basis. FCO budgets are subject to review and further adjustment as part of our internal Quarterly Budget Review process. All expenditure is kept under rigorous scrutiny to ensure value for money and effectiveness and is incurred in accordance with the principles of Managing Public Money and the Treasury handbook on Regularity and Propriety.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what cost  (a) reductions and  (b) savings his Department will be making in 2010-11.

Alistair Burt: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for North Durham (Mr Jones) on 7 June 2010,  Official Report, column 23W.

Embassies: Buildings

Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent estimate he has made of the monetary value of the property occupied by each UK embassy and diplomatic post in the EU.

Alistair Burt: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) estate was most recently valued in March 2010. The estimated book value of owned office buildings in EU posts is set out in the following table. Leasehold properties have a nil book value to the FCO, and are therefore not included.
	The FCO does not hold the freehold on its offices in the EU countries not listed on the table (Bulgaria, Hungary, Luxembourg, Malta and Slovenia).
	
		
			  Country  Post  Book value as at  31 March 2010 (£) 
			 Austria Vienna 5,537,600 
			 Belgium Brussels 421,900 
			 Cyprus BHC Compound 2,258,300 
			 Northern Cyprus Shakespeare Avenue Compound 2,141,400 
			 Czech Republic Prague 1,864,200 
			 Denmark Copenhagen 4,073,500 
			 Irish Republic Dublin 9,197,500 
			 Estonia Tallinn 655,300 
			 Finland Helsinki 8,206,900 
			 France Marseilles 517,300 
			 France Paris 59,715,500 
			 Germany Berlin 22,715,500 
			 Greece Athens 3,353,800 
			 Italy Rome 22,399,800 
			 Latvia Riga 869400 
			 Lithuania Vilnius 1,073,300 
			 Netherlands Amsterdam 2,140,800 
			 Netherlands The Hague 3,237,000 
			 Poland Warsaw 27,424,200 
			 Portugal Lisbon 3,069,500 
			 Portugal Portimao 616,700 
			 Romania Bucharest 2,799,100 
			 Slovakia Bratislava 1,338,000 
			 Spain Alicante 241,800 
			 Spain Barcelona 1,441,200 
			 Spain Bilbao 847,400 
			 Spain Ibiza 139,300 
			 Spain Las Palmas 265,500 
			 Spain Palma 384,300 
			 Sweden Stockholm 7,939,600 
			 Total  196,292,600

Embassies: Buildings

Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he plans to sell part of his Department's overseas estate.

Alistair Burt: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Hartlepool (Mr Wright) on 9 June 2010,  Official Report, column 164W.

EU Countries: Embassies

Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the cost was of his Department's presence in each of the 27 member states of the EU in the latest period for which figures are available.

David Lidington: The net cost of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office presence in each of the 27 member states of the EU is provided in the following table.
	
		
			  Net cost of FCO presence for financial year 2008-09 
			  Country  £ 
			 Austria (1)6,781,395 
			 Belgium (2)7,515,191 
			 Bulgaria 4,067,114 
			 Cyprus 5,648,812 
			 Czech Republic 4,425,612 
			 Denmark 4,774,473 
			 Estonia 1,391,670 
			 Finland 4,208,696 
			 France (3)23,263,634 
			 Germany 21,858,061 
			 Greece 7,222,219 
			 Hungary 4,733,193 
			 Ireland (4)-3,176,461 
			 Italy 15,427,918 
			 Latvia 1,926,962 
			 Lithuania 1,996,889 
			 Luxembourg 1,394,414 
			 Malta 2,141,074 
			 The Netherlands 2,516,000 
			 Poland 7,751,832 
			 Portugal 5,225,734 
			 Romania 4,680,311 
			 Slovakia 1,947,497 
			 Slovenia 1,834,833 
			 Spain (4)-27,091,905 
			 Sweden 4,232,479 
			 (1) The figure for Austria includes the cost of the British embassy in Vienna. However it does not count the cost of the UKDEL Vienna and UKMIS Vienna missions. The budgets of those representations are held separately. (2) The figure for Belgium includes the cost of the British embassy in Belgium and the joint management office in Brussels. However, it does not count the cost of the UKREP Brussels and UKDEL Brussels (NATO) missions. The budgets of those representations are held separately. (3) The figure for France includes the cost of the British embassy in Paris, and the British consulate network in France. It also includes the costs of the UK delegation to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), based in Paris. (4) The figures for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office presence in Ireland and Spain are both negative due to net proceeds from the sale of property.  Notes: 1. The full cost of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office presence in each country is provided. This includes both British embassies/high commissions and subordinate posts (eg: British consulates). 2. These figures also include the costs of the operations of other Government Departments, within our network of posts in the European Union-eg UK Trade and Investment/UK Borders Agency activities.

Government Hospitality: Wines

Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the value is of the Government wine cellar.

Henry Bellingham: The Government wine cellar is valued in accordance with guidelines issued by the National Audit Office and currently has an estimated value of £864,000, a reduction of approximately £13,000 since this question was tabled by the hon. Member for Monmouth (David T. C. Davies) in December 2009.

Kashmir

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is towards Kashmir; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: The long-standing position of the UK is that it is for India and Pakistan to find a lasting resolution to the situation in Kashmir, one which takes into account the wishes of the Kashmiri people. It is not for the UK to prescribe a solution or to mediate in finding one. We welcome the positive steps being taken by India and Pakistan to build trust and confidence between them.

Pakistan: Religious Freedom

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the Government of Pakistan on religious discrimination in that country and the effects of section 295-C of Pakistan's Penal Code on Ahmadi Muslims.

Alistair Burt: The Government condemn all forms of unfair discrimination, including those based on religion. We regularly raise our concerns with the Government of Pakistan, both bilaterally and through the EU. We have raised our concerns with regard to section 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code which deals with the offence of blasphemy. We believe this law should be amended to prevent its abuse, and also that it should not attract the death penalty.

Pakistan: Religious Freedom

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations the Government have made to the Government of Pakistan on the attacks on Ahmadi Muslims in Lahore, Pakistan on 28 May; what response has been received; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: The Government condemn all forms of violence and discrimination against individuals or groups, irrespective of their faith or belief. The attacks on the Ahmadiyya mosques in Lahore on 28 May were a tragic example of the discrimination faced by the Ahmadiyya community.
	Our high commissioner in Islamabad has raised the attacks and the discrimination suffered by the Ahmadiyya community in Pakistan with the Chief Minister of Punjab along with his EU colleagues, and the issue has also been raised by our high commission with the Pakistani Ministries of Interior and Minorities.
	The Government of Pakistan at federal and provincial level have underlined how seriously they take these attacks, and are overseeing an immediate police investigation into the incident.

Palestinians: International Assistance

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has received a response from the Government of Israel to his statement of 5 June 2010 calling for an end to the closure of Gaza.

Alistair Burt: We continue to discuss these issues with the Government of Israel and our international partners-including members of the Quartet and the EU. There has been a slight easing in some of the items allowed into Gaza which we welcome. But we continue to call for more significant steps to lift Gaza's closure. As my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has made clear, it is important that there is unfettered access to meet the humanitarian needs of the people of Gaza and to enable the reconstruction of people's homes, livelihoods and trade.

Palestinians: Politics and Government

Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his latest assessment is of the political situation in Gaza; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: The UK is extremely concerned by the humanitarian, economic and political situation in Gaza. As my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has made clear, it is essential that there is unfettered access not only to meet the humanitarian needs of the people of Gaza but to enable the reconstruction of people's homes, livelihoods and trade.
	At the same time it is important to remember that Hamas continues to pursue an ideology of violence which directly undermines prospects for peace in the region. We call on Hamas to take immediate and concrete steps towards the Quartet principles and to release Gilad Shalit unconditionally.

Thailand: Politics and Government

Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his latest assessment is of the political situation in Thailand; and if he will make a statement.

Jeremy Browne: I am deeply concerned by the recent violence and loss of life in Bangkok. As a friend of Thailand, the UK wishes to see all sides engage in an urgent process of national reconciliation to address the underlying social, economic and political causes of the recent violence and instability. I welcome the announcement by Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva that an independent inquiry will take place into the violence that took place. I also welcome Prime Minister Abhisit's announcement of efforts to address the underlying causes of the violence through a five-point reconciliation road map, which includes commitment to tackle economic disparities and inequality, and the involvement of all parties in the process of reconciliation. We are encouraging the Thai authorities to take forward this process as a matter of urgency.
	We underlined our concern in a statement to the Human Rights Council on 31 May. On 21 May the High Representative of the European Union, Baroness Ashton, also made a statement on behalf of the EU.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Regional Spatial Strategies

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what progress he has made on the ending of regional spatial strategies.

Greg Clark: We committed in the Queen's Speech to abolishing regional strategies. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has written to all council leaders saying that he expects them to have regard to this as a material planning consideration in any decisions they are currently taking.

Advantage West Midlands

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps are being taken to ensure even distribution of funding across the west midlands by the Advantage West Midlands regional development agency.

Mark Prisk: I have been asked to reply
	It is for the RDA to determine the level of spend in line with local and regional priorities and these are set out in the corporate plan. In agreeing these priories, the RDA has a duty to consult with regional partners and stakeholders including local authorities.

Advantage West Midlands

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment his Department has made of the value for money of funding provided by Advantage West Midlands for residents of Redditch.

Mark Prisk: I have been asked to reply
	There have not been any value-for-money assessments specific to Redditch. The National Audit Office (NAO) led an independent performance assessment in 2006-07 which judged AWM to be performing well. The report highlighted in particular AWM's consistent achievement of targets and its strong evidence base. An independent supplementary review of all RDAs is also being carried out by the NAO which is due to be published soon.

Community Development: Northamptonshire

Andrea Leadsom: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what his policy is on the future of  (a) the West Northamptonshire Development Corporation and  (b) the West Northamptonshire Joint Planning Unit.

Andrew Stunell: The Government will be reviewing West Northamptonshire Development Corporation's (WNDC's) future work programme against the Government's priorities taking account of the previously announced wind-up date of 2013-14 and the potential for transition to a local authority-led regeneration body. The Government are committed to decentralisation and achieving efficiencies and WNDC will be contributing to the efficiency savings planned by the Department of Communities and Local Government.
	The West Northamptonshire Joint Planning Unit (WNJPU), which is entirely separate from WNDC, was constituted at the request of the three local planning authorities and Northamptonshire county council under section 29 of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004. The Act provides that the joint committee can be dissolved at the request of a constituent authority.

Electoral Register

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many convictions for non-completion and return of the annual registration form for the Register of Electors there  (a) were in 2009 and  (b) have been in 2010.

Mark Harper: I have been asked to reply.
	This information is not collected centrally. Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) have a statutory duty to compile and maintain a complete and accurate electoral register and they have a number of mechanisms available to them in achieving this. It is a decision for individual EROs to decide what action to take in relation to non-completion of an individual annual canvass form.

Housing: Construction

Stephen Gilbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the effect of ending the south-west regional spatial strategy on active house building in Cornwall.

Greg Clark: We are absolutely committed to abolishing regional strategies, including regional housing targets and will introduce legislation in the first Session to do so. The Secretary of State has written to all local authority leaders and the Planning Inspectorate confirming the Government's intention and that letter can be used as a material consideration in planning decisions.
	Cornwall council will now be able to make its own decisions on housing supply. We will introduce strong incentives so that the benefits of growth in jobs, investment and housing are enjoyed by local people.

Housing: Construction

Stephen Gilbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what new criteria for housebuilding will be put in place after the ending of regional spatial strategies.

Greg Clark: As the coalition agreement makes clear, local councils will be responsible for decisions on housing and planning after the abolition of regional spatial strategies. I expect decisions to be based on sound local plans, which have regard to national planning policy statements and reflect co-operation with neighbouring authorities on issues that cross local authority boundaries. They will be taken in the context of powerful financial incentives so that the benefits of development are shared with local people.

Housing: Construction

Stephen Gilbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether the proposed numbers of houses in the eco-town development at St Austell will count towards the total housing need in the mid-Cornwall area.

Grant Shapps: Cornwall council will be able to make its own decisions on the level of housing supply to plan for, based on its own evidence. The St Austell eco-town will help to meet their needs like any other new development.

Housing: Construction

Stephen Gilbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the appropriateness of local authority housing targets in Cornwall in light of the ending of the south-west regional spatial strategy.

Greg Clark: It is for local authorities to assess the appropriateness of local housing targets in the context of preparing and maintaining local plans whose soundness is subject to the public scrutiny through examination in public.

Housing: Construction

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will call in planning applications 09/00013/COND10, 09/00014/COND8, 09/00018/COND6, 09/00023/COND10, 09/00023/COND8, 09/00029/COND6 and 09/01301/OUT for decision by his Department on the ground that they are applications to build on green belt land; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Neill: The planning applications referred to have yet to be considered by Tewkesbury borough council, the local planning authority, and it would be inappropriate to comment on them. However, the local planning authority has confirmed that none of the land subject to these planning applications involves land designated as green belt.
	The borough council has the discretion to review the scale of housing development required in the borough since the intention to abolish RSS was confirmed by the Secretary of State in letter of 27 May to all council leaders.

Local Government Finance: Sheffield

David Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the likely change to his Department's capital investment allocation for Sheffield in  (a) percentage and  (b) cash terms in 2010-11; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Neill: The announcement on 24 May set out the immediate savings of over £6 billion that needed to be made as down-payment on the public deficit. We continue to review the position on all budgets and any further decisions on funding for 2010-11 will be taken at the Emergency Budget on 22 June. A full review of capital projects will be undertaken once the final funding position for 2010-11 is clear.

Local Government Finance: Sheffield

David Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the likely change to his Department's aggregate external finance allocation for Sheffield in  (a) percentage and  (b) cash terms in 2010-11; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Neill: I refer the right hon. Member to the written ministerial statement which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State laid in the House on 10 June 2010,  Official Report, columns 15-17WS.

Travellers: Caravan Sites

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans he has to withdraw ODPM 01/06 instructing planning inspectors to presume in favour of otherwise illegal Gypsy encampments.

Andrew Stunell: In the coalition agreement the Government stated that they will publish and present to Parliament a simple and consolidated national planning framework covering all forms of development. An announcement on how we propose to take forward the national planning framework and the implications for specific areas of planning policy will be made in due course.
	The Secretary of State wrote to all local authority chief planners prior to the Whitsun bank holiday weekend to remind them of the potential risks of unauthorised development and to draw their attention to the existing enforcement powers at their disposal to deal with such breaches of planning control.

Travellers: Caravan Sites

Damian Hinds: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he plans to take to prevent the use of the retrospective planning application process in relation to unauthorised Gypsy and Traveller sites.

Andrew Stunell: The new Government are working on proposals to strengthen the powers that local authorities have to enforce against breaches of planning control and to limit the opportunities for retrospective planning applications in relation to any form of unauthorised development.

EDUCATION

Academies and Free Schools

Edward Balls: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what procedures he plans to use to evaluate potential sponsors of  (a) academy schools and  (b) free schools.

Nick Gibb: I am currently considering a range of options to ensure that sponsors of academies and those involved in free schools have the capacity and capability to support the provision of high quality education for their pupils.

British Educational Communications and Technology Agency

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what his most recent estimate is of the savings to the public purse arising from the closure of BECTA.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 8 June 2010
	 We expect that the closure of BECTA will save £10 million in 2010-11 after all costs have been met, and that savings in subsequent years will be in the order of £65 million per year.

Building Schools for the Future Programme

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  what representations he has received from Birmingham city council on the prospects for the Building Schools for the Future programme in Birmingham since his appointment;
	(2)  what discussions he has had with Birmingham city council on the applicability to the city of Birmingham of the £100 million funding envelope applied to the most recent invitations to bid under the Building Schools for the Future programme;
	(3)  with reference to the oral answer of 8 March 2010,  Official Report, columns 16-17, on Building Schools for the Future, what plans he has for funding of the projects for the  (a) 30 schools being redeveloped or planned for redevelopment and  (b) other schools in Birmingham planned to be included in future phases of the Building Schools for the Future programme.

Nick Gibb: The Secretary of State has not received any representation or held any discussions with Birmingham city council on the prospects for the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme in Birmingham; or the applicability to the city of Birmingham of the £100 million funding envelope.
	The Department has not taken any decisions on BSF. Any future roll-out decisions will be announced in due course.

Education Maintenance Allowance

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has for the future of education maintenance allowance payments.  [Official Report, 6 July 2010, Vol. 513, c. 2MC.]

Nick Gibb: holding answer 7 June 2010
	The Government are committed to retaining the education maintenance allowance (EMA). The budget for 2010-11 is £564 million, enabling young people aged 16 to 19 in England who meet residency criteria and have a bank account to receive EMA payments if their household income is under £30,801 (based on evidence from the last full financial year).

Free Schools

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether he plans to provide support to parents and groups to transfer to the status of free schools  (a) existing state schools and  (b) schools planned for closure; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 2 June 2010
	We have yet to take decisions about whether to do so and, if so, what level of support will be provided to free schools. We will make this information available in due course.

Free Schools

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will ensure that capital and revenue funding for free schools will not be taken from local education authorities'  (a) current and  (b) future budgets; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: We have yet to take decisions on the funding for free schools. We will make this information available in due course.

GCSE

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will ensure that all schools and GCSE candidates receive GCSE results for the examinations in 2010 in hard copy.

Nick Gibb: It is for individual examination awarding bodies and schools to organise timely and appropriate communication of the results of public examinations, taking into account the needs of their recipients.

Primary Education: Admissions

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many and what proportion of children of primary school age in each local education authority attend a school other than that of their parents' first choice.

Nick Gibb: The information requested in respect of primary schools is not collected centrally.

Pupil Premium

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what criteria he plans to use to disburse the pupil premium to  (a) local education authorities and  (b) individual schools.

Nick Gibb: The Government published the document "The Coalition: our programme for government" on 20 May 2010, which set out our intention for a pupil premium to support disadvantaged children. The pupil premium will target extra funding specifically at deprived pupils to enable them to receive the support they need to reach their potential. We will publish our proposals with details of how we plan to distribute the pupil premium in due course.

Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency

Edward Balls: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the  (a) cost and  (b) savings to the Exchequer arising from the abolition of the Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency in (i) 2010-11, (ii) 2011-12 and (iii) 2012-13.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 7 June 2010
	QCDA's budget for 2010-11 is £128 million. From that we expect to generate savings of at least £8 million in this financial year. We are now working with QCDA to plan its orderly winding down including estimates of costs and further savings to the Exchequer in this and subsequent years. The extent of these will depend upon decisions as to the future of each of QCDA's functions.

School Leaving

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has for the level of the compulsory participation age in relation to education and training in  (a) 2013 and  (b) 2015; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: We have set out in "The Coalition: our programme for government" our plans for education policy over the coming months and years. We are currently developing plans for specific policy areas. We will be able to give further details in due course.

Schools: Admissions

Edward Balls: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what his policy is on the application of the Schools Admissions Code to  (a) maintained and  (b) academy schools.

Nick Gibb: All maintained schools must act in accordance with the School Admissions Code.
	The Government have been clear that all new academies will have an inclusive admissions policy. For existing academies and maintained schools, this means having clear admission arrangements; giving priority to children in care; not adopting any new selection by ability; being able to adopt any lawful admission criteria, such as by sibling, distance or catchment, if oversubscribed (ie more applications than available places). Those schools adopting academy status will be able to retain their existing admission arrangements, which should already be compliant with the code.

Schools: Standards

Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will reduce the number of school policies that each school is required to adopt.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 8 June 2010
	 This Government are strongly committed to freeing all schools from unnecessary bureaucracy so that they can focus on their core purpose of raising standards for all children.
	We will shortly be outlining a package of measures to reduce the bureaucratic load on schools, including a substantial reduction in the number of policies schools are required to produce.

Sixth Form Education: Disadvantaged

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  what proportion of pupils aged 16 to 18 years in sixth form colleges and school sixth forms were from highly deprived backgrounds in  (a) 2007-08 and  (b) 2008-09;
	(2)  what proportion of pupils aged 16 to 18 years in further education colleges were from highly deprived backgrounds in  (a) 2007-08 and  (b) 2008-09.

Nick Gibb: The information requested is shown in the following table. Eligibility for free school meals in the final year of compulsory schooling has been used as the indicator of deprivation. The denominators are all those 16 to 18-year-olds(1) studying in school sixth forms, sixth form colleges, or FE colleges for whom information was available on their free school meals status at age 15 (i.e. those who had been in maintained schools at age 15).
	
		
			  Percentage of 16 to 18-year-old students known to be eligible for free school meals at age 15 
			   School sixth forms  Sixth form colleges  FE Colleges 
			  Percentage 
			 2007-08 7.7 10.4 16.1 
			 2008-09 7.4 10.1 15.9 
		
	
	(1) Based on academic age-the age of the young person at the beginning of the academic year, 31 August.

Sure Start Programme

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will undertake public consultation before any change is made to the priorities of the Sure Start programme.

Sarah Teather: holding answer 7 June 2010
	The coalition document published on 20 May states that the Government will take Sure Start back to its original purpose of early intervention, increase its focus on the neediest families, and better involve organisations with a track record of supporting families; investigate ways of ensuring that providers are paid in part by the results they achieve; and refocus funding from Sure Start peripatetic outreach services, and from the Department of Health budget, to pay for 4,200 extra Sure Start health visitors. In implementing these priorities for Sure Start Children's Centres, the Government will follow their normal protocols, including public consultation where appropriate.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Central America: Storms

Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment his Department has made of the effects of tropical storm Agatha in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.

Andrew Mitchell: The Department for International Development (DFID) made an assessment of conditions on the ground caused by tropical storm Agatha in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, through consultations with the Red Cross, other aid agencies in Central America and Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) colleagues. Our assessment was that Guatemala suffered the most damage and loss of life. The storm affected some of the country's poorest rural indigenous communities. We found that 5,000 families in Guatemala were in need of immediate humanitarian assistance and made a rapid allocation of £100,000 to the Guatemalan Red Cross relief appeal.

Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many special advisers  (a) he and  (b) each other Minister in his Department (i) has appointed and (ii) plans to appoint.

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many  (a) political appointments and  (b) other personal appointments he has made since his appointment; and at what estimated annual cost to the public purse.

Andrew Mitchell: I refer the hon. Members to the written ministerial statement made by the Prime Minister on 10 June 2010,  Official Report, column 32WS.

Departmental Mobile Phones

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which Ministers in his Department have been issued with  (a) a BlackBerry,  (b) an iPhone,  (c) another make of mobile telephone and  (d) a personal digital assistant supplied by the Department.

Andrew Mitchell: The Minister of State and the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Department for International Development (DFID) have each been issued with a BlackBerry.

Departmental Official Cars

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the  (a) make,  (b) model and  (c) place of manufacture is of the car allocated for the use of each Minister in his Department.

Andrew Mitchell: The Department for International Development (DFID) inherited three cars allocated to its Ministers: one Toyota Prius T Spirit and two Toyota Prius T3. All three cars were manufactured in Japan.
	These arrangements are changing following the publication of the new Ministerial Code which contains changes that affect ministerial entitlement to travel by Government car. The code states that "the number of Ministers with allocated cars and drivers will be kept to a minimum, taking into account security and other relevant considerations. Other Ministers will be entitled to use cars from the Government Car Service Pool as needed".
	Cabinet Office has provided clarification on how the code should be interpreted. The expectation is that Ministers not in the Cabinet will use the pool service and that Cabinet Ministers who have an allocated car will wish to consider how that car might be utilised by other Ministers within the Department before calls are made on the Government Car Service Pool.
	The Department for Transport and its Government Car and Despatch Agency are working with Departments to effect the transition to the new arrangements.

Departmental Translation Services

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what  (a) documents and  (b) other information for which (i) his Department and (ii) its associated public bodies are responsible are published or provided in the UK in languages other than English; for what reason each such publication is required to be made available in a language or languages other than English; and what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of the translation work so incurred in the latest period for which figures are available.

Andrew Mitchell: Information about the Department for International Development (DFID) and our activities in individual countries has in the past occasionally been made available in local languages to the UK public on the DFID website and through events with diaspora communities. It is not possible to disaggregate the costs of translating these documents without incurring disproportionate costs.
	The Government are committed to making information on aid spending transparent to citizens in both the UK and recipient countries. As part of the new UKaid Transparency Guarantee, we will publish detailed information about all new DFID projects and programmes on our website. Information will be published in English and with summary information in major local languages in a way that is accessible to citizens in the countries in which we work.

Overseas Aid

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when he expects the target of 0.7% of gross national income to be allocated to development aid to be met.

Andrew Mitchell: This Government are committed to achieving, from 2013, the UN target of spending 0.7% of gross national income (GNI) on Official Development Assistance (ODA), and will enshrine this commitment in law.
	We are on track to meet this commitment.

Overseas Aid: Public Consultation

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development by what mechanism the public will be able to influence the way in which elements of his Department's budget are spent; to what proportion of his Department's budget this will apply; and what consultation he plans to undertake on this proposal.

Andrew Mitchell: The commitment to "create new mechanisms to give British people a direct say in how an element of the aid budget is spent" was laid out in "The Coalition: our Programme for Government". Further details are being developed and will be shared with Parliament in due course.

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Apprentices: West Midlands

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  what plans he has to increase the number of manufacturing apprenticeships in  (a) the West Midlands and  (b) Coventry;
	(2)  what plans he has to increase the number of engineering apprenticeships in  (a) the West Midlands and  (b) Coventry.

John Hayes: To build an advanced manufacturing economy we need advanced skills in technology and engineering. That's why the Government are committed to increasing the number of apprenticeships, in particular, Advanced Apprenticeships, that confer technician status. We are also committed to ensuring, through Sector Skills Councils, that all apprenticeship frameworks meet the needs of the real economy. The Government's decision to redeploy £150 million of Train to Gain funds for 2010-11, creating an additional 50,000 adult places, demonstrates our commitment to high quality skills.

Apprentices: West Midlands

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has to work with small and medium-sized enterprises to ensure that apprenticeship places in  (a) the West Midlands and  (b) Coventry are filled.

John Hayes: The Department is working with the National Apprenticeship Service and the Skills Funding Agency to implement the redeployment of £150 million of Train to Gain funds which will support adult apprenticeship places including those in small and medium-sized enterprise. Further details will be provided shortly.
	Apprenticeships are founded on partnerships so it is important that employers, including those in manufacturing and engineering, take up these new opportunities and offer apprenticeship places to secure a new generation of highly skilled employees.

Banks: Loans

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what his most recent assessment is of levels of bank lending to small and medium-sized enterprises in  (a) the North East and  (b) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency; and what steps he plans to take to increase those levels.

Mark Prisk: The Government have made it clear that ensuring the flow of credit to SMEs is essential for supporting growth and is a core priority.
	Bank lending data are not collated at regional or constituency level by the Department. However, the Department does receive national level lending data from four banks comprising around 85% of the lending market. This shows that over £9 billion of loans have been drawdown by small and medium sized enterprises since the beginning of 2010. Further to this, businesses in the north-east have been offered nearly £30 million under the Enterprise Finance Guarantee, with over £500,000 to businesses in the Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency.

Banks: Loans

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what his most recent assessment is of levels of bank lending to small and medium-sized enterprises in Denton and Reddish constituency; and if he will take steps to increase those levels.

Mark Prisk: The Government has made it clear that ensuring the flow of credit to SMEs is essential for supporting growth and is a core priority.
	Bank lending data are not collated at regional or constituency level by the Department. However, the Department does receive national level lending data from four banks comprising around 85% of the lending market. This shows that over £9 billion of loans have been drawdown by small and medium sized enterprises since the beginning of 2010. Further to this, businesses in Denton and Reddish have been offered nearly £2 million under the Enterprise Finance Guarantee.

Business: Bexley

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent steps his Department has taken to assist small and medium-sized businesses in developing their competitiveness in  (a) Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency and  (b) the London Borough of Bexley.

Mark Prisk: The policies and actions of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), and its predecessors have focused, working through regional development agencies, on building a competitive economy and on delivering prosperity and sustainable economic growth.
	The London Development Agency funds Business Link in London (BLiL) to act as a central gateway for the delivery of its business advice and support products. BLiL provides free impartial advice to London's SMEs, including advice on how to increase competitiveness.
	The following figures represent the number of unique clients, irrespective of how many times they access BLiL services. Data are only collected at borough, not constituency level.
	Between 1 April 2009 and 31 March 2010 BLiL provided information and advice to 2,940 businesses in the borough of Bexley, and more intensive assistance to 84 businesses.
	Each of the 84 businesses that have benefited from intensive assistance has received a minimum of two hours of support from a business adviser during which, typically, a bespoke action plan designed to improve business productivity and address areas of concern or opportunity for the business is developed. Following this, businesses also receive a minimum of two follow up activities within 12 months.

Business: Bexley

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills with which business organisations in  (a) Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency and  (b) the London Borough of Bexley his Department has held discussions in the last 12 months.

Mark Prisk: The Department does not generally liaise directly with business organisations, but works through the regional development agencies. In London, the London Development Agency contracts with Business Link in London (BLiL) to provide business support services. The implementation of BIS policy in the London borough of Bexley has been taken forward primarily by the London Development Agency, working in partnership with the local authority and other bodies.
	Data protection rules mean that specific businesses receiving support cannot be identified, but examples of BLiL engagement in Bexley in 2009-10 include:
	BLiL partnership managers meeting LB Bexley to provide briefings about BLiL support activities, referrals and the needs of businesses in the borough. Formal briefings and updates on activity have also occurred on a quarterly basis.
	Familiarisation activities to ensure BLiL works together with key local partners (e.g. LB Bexley, Thames Innovation Centre and Gateway to London) to provide informed referrals and co-ordinate business support. These activities continue to include a further round of strategic meetings to discuss referrals and business support, liaison between business advisers in BLIL and LB Bexley.
	A 'Guided Business Tour of Bexley' involving BLiL business advisers, TIC and LB Bexley officers, where a tour of the local industrial and business areas was undertaken.
	BLiL ensuring that LB Bexley has access to its Stakeholder Forum and providing LB Bexley partners with local economic data and research on business demand trends.
	BLiL working with South East London Chamber of Commerce to deliver workshops marketed to their Bexley business members.
	Delivering a 'Mastering Networking and Nurturing Relationships' workshop to South London Business members and contacts in Bexley in February 2010.
	Supporting the launch events of 'Innovate London Showcase' in January 2010 and the Bexley 'Enterprise Fund' in July 2009.
	Attending a South East London Chamber of Commerce event with my hon. Friend for Bexleyheath and Crayford in December 2009 to discuss support for Bexley businesses during the recession.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the cost to his Department of the  (a) implementation of penalty clauses and payments in its contracts and  (b) potential legal action arising from the deferral and cancellation of contracts and projects under his Department's plans to achieve cost savings; and whether those estimates are included in the total cost savings to be achieved by his Department.

Edward Davey: Estimates will be made at a future date to align with the Office of Government Commerce (OGC)'s work to review major projects and support the renegotiation of contracts on behalf of central Government to seek efficiencies in the region of £1.7 billion. The analysis of contingent liabilities, in order to achieve maximum savings, is a core part of the review methodology. The OGC will be taking into account the potential costs of deferment or cancellation.

Education: Middlesbrough

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many people from Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency began a  (a) higher education course,  (b) further education course and  (c) modern apprenticeship in each year since 1996.

David Willetts: Table 1 covers entrants to Higher Education courses from Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland parliamentary constituency. Figures are taken from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) student record. Figures for the 2009/10 academic year will be available in January 2011.
	Table 2 shows the number of Apprenticeship Programme Starts in Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, 2003/04 to 2008/09. 2003/04 is the earliest year for which comparable data is available and 2008/09 is the latest year for which full year data is available.
	Table 3 shows the number of Further Education courses started in Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, 2002/03 to 2008/09. 2002/03 is the earliest year for which comparable data is available and 2008/09 is the latest year for which full year data is available.
	
		
			  Table 1: Entrants( 1)  from Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland parliamentary constituency( 2) , English Higher Education Institutions( 3) -academic years 1996/97 to 2008/09 
			   Entrants 
			 1996/97 910 
			 1997/98 1,040 
			 1998/99 1,100 
			 1999/2000 1,315 
			 2000/01 1,710 
			 2001/02 1,485 
			 2002/03 1,715 
			 2003/04 1,605 
			 2004/05 1,485 
			 2005/06 1,565 
			 2006/07 1,760 
			 2007/08 1,480 
			 2008/09 1,480 
			 (1) Covers entrants to all levels and modes of study. (2) Figures do not include entrants where the constituency of the student cannot be established due to missing or invalid postcode information. (3) Excludes the Open University due to inconsistencies in their coding of entrants across the time series.  Note: Figures are based on a snapshot as at 1 December to maintain consistency across the time series.  Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Apprenticeship Programme Starts for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland parliamentary constituency, 2003/04 to 2008/09 
			   Starts 
			 2003/04 600 
			 2004/05 610 
			 2005/06 500 
			 2006/07 530 
			 2007/08 600 
			 2008/09 680 
			  Notes: 1. Volumes are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Parliamentary constituency is based upon the home postcode of the learner.  Source: Individualised Learner Record 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 3: Starts in Further Education colleges in Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland parliamentary constituency, 2002/03 to 2008/09 
			   Starts 
			 2002/03 21,100 
			 2003/04 21,690 
			 2004/05 21,590 
			 2005/06 18,610 
			 2006/07 16,660 
			 2007/08 15,300 
			 2008/09 14,480 
			  Notes: 1. Volumes are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Parliamentary constituency is based upon the home postcode of the learner. 3. Figures include all starts on Further Education courses at Further Education colleges or institutions. 4. It is not possible to uniquely identify learners. Learners starting more than one course in the academic year will be counted more than once.  Source: Individualised Learner Record

Employment Agencies: EU Law

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he plans to seek any amendment to the EU Agency Workers Directive.

Edward Davey: The agency workers directive was proposed by the European Commission in 2002, it was finally adopted by the European Council of Ministers in June 2008 and by the European Parliament in October 2008.
	The final version of the directive was published in December 2008 and has to be implemented by all member states into national law by December 2011. Therefore we do not intend to seek any amendment as the directive has already been finalised.
	The directive does foresee a review by the European Commission in December 2013 in consultation with member states and social partners at European level to review the application of the directive. This may result in proposals for amendments. This is normal practice for similar directives.

EU External Trade: Peru

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions his Department has had with the European Commission on its decision to continue multiparty trade agreement negotiations with Peru; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Davey: Negotiations for an EU-Colombia-Peru multiparty trade agreement were concluded in March 2010, and the agreement is likely to enter into force in late 2011.
	Officials from this Department and DFID have liaised closely with the European Commission throughout the negotiations, and last discussed the agreement with the Commission at the EU Trade Policy Committee on 21 May 2010.

Higher and Further Education: Admissions

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has to encourage underprivileged individuals to enter into  (a) higher and  (b) further education.

David Willetts: holding answer 7 June 2010
	The need to attract more students from disadvantaged backgrounds into higher education is written into the coalition agreement. This makes clear that once Lord Browne's review of student finance has reported, its proposals will be judged against the coalition's agreed criteria, which include increasing social mobility and attracting more students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
	This Government's aim is to create a society where everyone, regardless of background, has the chance to fulfil their talents and ambitions. We envisage creating clear progression ladders, re-engaging young people into work. This will be through a wide range of routes into further education, including high quality apprenticeships. By refocusing employer-responsive budgets this year, we will allocate £150 million for 50,000 new, high quality additional apprenticeship places focused on SMEs.

Higher Education: Manpower

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the change in the number of staff in universities in the West Midlands between academic years 2009-10 and 2010-11.

David Willetts: The Department does not hold an estimate of the change in the number of staff in universities in the West Midlands between academic years 2009/10 and 2010/11. Data on the number of staff in individual universities is published by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). However, data for academic year 2009/10 will not be published by HESA until 2011, and for 2010/11 not until 2012. HESA do not publish staff numbers specifically by region.

Higher Education: Student Numbers

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the likely change in the number of student places in universities in the North West between academic year 2009-10 and 2010-11.

David Willetts: The number of students in each institution will depend upon the recruitment decisions taken by individual institutions. However, we are making available funding for an additional 10,000 places in academic year 2010/11 which will be allocated by the Higher Education Funding Council for England.

Post Offices

Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  what plans he has to enable post offices to offer a wider range of services; [R]
	(2)  what evaluation he has made of potential new sources of revenue for post offices; and when he expects to make an announcement on the possible creation of a post office bank. [R]

Edward Davey: I am fully committed to delivering the policy set out in "The Coalition: our programme for government" of ensuring that post offices are allowed to offer a wide range of services in order to sustain the network, and we are working with Post Office Ltd to develop new sources of revenue, including considering the case for a post office bank.

Regional Development Agencies

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of Advantage West Midlands; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Prisk: An Independent Performance Assessment (IPA) conducted by the National Audit Office in 2006/07 assessed AWM as performing well. The NAO, on behalf of my Department, is currently undertaking an Independent Supplementary Review of RDAs and is due to report shortly.

Regional Development Agencies

Linda Riordan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what reduction is planned to take place in funding by Yorkshire Forward provided through the single-pot budget  (a) in total and  (b) in Halifax constituency in 2010-11.

Mark Prisk: No decisions have been made on how projects/programmes currently delivered by Yorkshire Forward will be affected by the £270 million savings from the RDAs budget. We are working closely with Yorkshire Forward and the rest of the RDA network to minimise the impact on priority programmes in line with Government priorities. Stakeholders and delivery partners involved in affected programmes and projects will be kept fully informed as specific decisions are made and plans are developed.

Wigan

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills for what public spending projects within  (a) Wigan constituency and  (b) the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan his Department secured Treasury approval between 1 January 2010 and the date of his appointment as Secretary of State.

Mark Prisk: The Government are re-assessing spending approvals granted between 1( )January 2010 and the general election to ensure that they offer good value for money and are consistent with the Government's priorities. Further announcements will be made in due course.

Window Blinds: Safety

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when he expects the joint statement from the EU, USA and Canada on safety and looped blind cords to be made.

Edward Davey: The Department has been informed by the Commission that they are in discussions with Health Canada and the US Consumer Product Safety Commission about the release of a joint letter to the relevant standardisation organisations in the different jurisdictions, urging them to come to a swift and ideally harmonised response to the risks of certain window blinds. We are not sure exactly when this letter may be made public.
	The Department will continue to work closely with industry and others to consider the case for further action to improve the safety of looped blind cords. We will be writing shortly to major retailers to ensure they are aware of the standard and ensure they educate consumers about the possible dangers posed to young children by internal blind cords.

Working Hours: EU Law

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he plans to seek any amendment to the EU Working Time Directive.

Edward Davey: The coalition agreement made clear the Government's commitment to limit the application of the working time directive in the UK. In that context the Government were pleased to note the emphasis in the European Commission's recent consultation document on the need to consider adapting the legislation in order to better meet the needs of 21st century labour markets. We will be happy to work with them and other member states on this with a view in particular to resolving the problems caused by the SiMap/Jaeger Judgments on on-call time and compensatory rest.
	But it will remain an absolute red line that we retain at least the level of flexibility provided by the individual opt-our from the 48-hour week. The opt-out gives people crucial flexibility and choice over their working hours. Millions of people are better off because of that choice.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Departmental Manpower

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many  (a) special advisers and  (b) press officers are employed by his Office; and at what pay grade.

Nicholas Clegg: On special advisers I refer the hon. Member to the statement given by the Prime Minister on 10 June 2010,  Official Report, columns 33-34W.
	Cabinet Office Communications directorate provides press office support to me from within existing Cabinet Office press office posts at a range of pay grades.

Departmental Mobile Phones

Tom Watson: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether he has been issued with  (a) a Blackberry,  (b) an iPhone,  (c) another make of mobile telephone and  (d) a personal digital assistant supplied by the Cabinet Office.

Nicholas Clegg: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Minister for the Cabinet Office today.

Departmental Official Hospitality

John Mann: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what budget has been allocated for entertainment, including alcohol, for the Privy Council Office in each of the next three years.

Nicholas Clegg: The Privy Council Office has no budget for entertainment.

General Elections

David Evennett: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the effects on electoral administration of general election counts taking place the day after polling.

Mark Harper: The Electoral Commission is currently preparing its report on the administration of the elections that took place in May 2010. We will consider the report carefully when it is published and look closely at any findings which emerge from the report on the timing of the count.

House of Lords: Reform

Andrew George: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has for the future  (a) purpose and  (b) function of the second Chamber.

Mark Harper: As announced by the Deputy Prime Minister on 7 June 2010,  Official Report, column 47, the Government have established a Committee to bring forward proposals for a wholly or mainly elected second Chamber. The Committee will make specific recommendations on these and other issues by the end of the year.

Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority

Kevan Jones: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 2 June 2010,  Official Report, columns 22-23WS, on machinery of government: departmental organisation, what responsibilities he has in relation to Government policy on the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority.

Mark Harper: The Deputy Prime Minister has policy responsibility for the legislative framework (as set out in the Parliamentary Standards Act 2009, as amended) under which the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) operates. This includes matters in respect of the status and statutory functions of IPSA and of the Compliance Officer. How IPSA and the Compliance Officer discharge their statutory functions and other matters in respect of the internal workings of IPSA are for the authority and the Compliance Officer as the case may be.

Lobbying

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he plans to publish details of his plans for a statutory register of lobbyists.

Mark Harper: Ministers will meet with representatives of the UK Public Affairs Council shortly to discuss how to create the most effective register, on a statutory footing. We hope to publish detailed plans in the autumn.

Monarchy: Succession

William Bain: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether he plans to bring forward proposals to amend the parts of the Act of Settlement which discriminate against Roman Catholics.

Mark Harper: There are no current plans to amend the Act of Settlement.

Primary Elections

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what criteria will be used to determine those constituencies where state funding will be provided for all-postal primaries for the selection of parliamentary candidates by political parties.

Mark Harper: The Government have announced that they will fund 200 all-postal primaries over this Parliament, targeted at seats which have not changed hands for many years. These funds will be allocated to all political parties with seats in Parliament that they take up, in proportion to their share of the total vote in the last general election. Further details will be announced in due course.

Voting Rights: British Nationals Abroad

Michael Fallon: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will review the appropriateness of the time limit applicable to voting rights in general elections to UK citizens resident overseas for 15 years or more.

Mark Harper: The Representation of the People Act 1985 provided for British citizens resident overseas to be able to register to vote in general and European parliamentary elections in the UK. However, the voting rights of "overseas electors" did not continue indefinitely, but was for five years from the time when the UK citizen was last resident and on the electoral register in the UK. The length of the time limit has subsequently fluctuated, first increasing to 20 years, then being reduced to 15 years from 1 April 2002.
	The Government have not yet considered the way forward on this issue.

JUSTICE

Burglary: Self-defence

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans he has to change the rights of householders to defend themselves against intruders; and will he make a statement.

Crispin Blunt: We are reviewing the law and its interpretation carefully and will explore all options before bringing forward proposals. We must make sure that the responsible citizen acting in self defence or the prevention of crime has the appropriate level of legal protection.

Communications Act 2003: Prosecutions

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prosecutions there have been under section 127(1)(a) of the Communications Act 2003; and if he will make a statement.

Crispin Blunt: The number of proceedings at magistrates courts in England and Wales for offences under section 127(1) (a) of the Communications Act 2003 from commencement (25 July 2003) to 31 December 2008 (latest available) is 2,671.
	Court proceedings data for 2009 are planned for publication on 31 October 2010.

Union Flag

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what his policy is on flying the Union flag each day from each official building for which his Department is responsible.

Crispin Blunt: The information requested is as follows and covers the Ministry of Justice estate including HM Prisons, HMCS and Tribunal Services buildings that have functioning flag poles.
	The Ministry of Justice has no corporate policy for flag flying in place. Instead we follow the Department for Culture, Media and Sport guidance for the flying of the Union flag on UK Government buildings. The guidance encourages the Union flag to be flown 365 days a year, and as a minimum all Departments must fly the Union flag on the 19 special designated days, e.g. Queen's birthday, Remembrance Day, etc. and other special occasions as required, e.g. State Opening of Parliament.
	The Ministry of Justice flies the Union flag 365 days of the year, with the exceptions being flag pole maintenance, flag cleaning and special instruction from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport.

Departmental Manpower

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) front line and  (b) other staff were employed by (i) his Department and (ii) each of its agencies in the latest year for which figures are available; and what his most recent estimate is of the annual cost to the public purse of employing staff of each type at each of those bodies.

Kenneth Clarke: In 2009, it is recorded that 27,500 employees were employed in the Ministry of Justice and its agencies, Her Majesty's Court Service and the Tribunals Service and The Office of the Public Guardian (but excluding NOMS).
	It is not possible to clearly distinguish front line staff from other staff as many staff in local offices, courts and tribunals across England and Wales work in both public facing and back office roles. However, we can confirm that of the above 27,500 staff, 21,130 worked in Her Majesty's Court Service, 2,990 worked in the Tribunals Service and 370 were employed in the Office of the Public Guardian all of which have primarily a public service delivery or "front line" functions. The annual cost to the public purse of employing staff in the Ministry of Justice and its agencies (excluding NOMS) from August 2008-09 is £736,269,325.
	The remaining 3,010 staff are employed in the Ministry of Justice corporate functions, including Ministerial Offices, Finance, HR, Legal, Criminal Justice Policy and Communications.
	The National Offender Management Service is an Agency of the Ministry of Justice. Information on the number and cost of directly employed NOMS civil service staff (i.e. not including Probation Trust employees) at 31 December 2009 shows that 45,538 staff were employed in Public Sector Prisons and therefore in "front line" roles. The employment cost of these staff was £1,405,000,000. Non front line staff (including those working in shared operational support, area support and central headquarters) totalled 4,198 and the employment costs were £181 million.
	All the salary details above are calculated from average salaries, including Earnings Related National Insurance Contributions and Accruing Superannuation Liability Contributions.

Departmental Official Cars

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the  (a) make,  (b) model and  (c) place of manufacture is of the car allocated for the use of each Minister in his Department.

Crispin Blunt: The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) were allocated four cars to its Ministers. One is a Jaguar XJ TDVi Sovereign and manufactured in the UK, one is a Toyota Prius T3 and manufactured in Japan and two are Honda Civic ES Hybrid and manufactured in Japan.
	The Home Office provide the arrangements in relation to the Minister of State for Policing and Criminal Justice, who also has ministerial responsibilities at the Ministry of Justice.
	These arrangements are changing following the publication of the new Ministerial Code which contains changes that affect ministerial entitlement to travel by Government car. The code states that
	"the number of Ministers with allocated cars and drivers will be kept to a minimum, taking into account security and other relevant considerations. Other Ministers will be entitled to use cars from the Government Car Service Pool as needed".
	Cabinet Office has provided clarification on how the code should be interpreted. The expectation is that Ministers not in the Cabinet will use the pool service and that Cabinet Ministers who have an allocated car will wish to consider how that car might be utilised by other Ministers within the Department before calls are made on the Government Car Service Pool.
	The Department for Transport and its Government Car and Despatch Agency are working with Departments to effect the transition to the new arrangements.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment has been made of the Electoral Commission's ability to  (a) monitor and  (b) increase the electoral registration rates of individual local authorities in the last 10 years.

Mark Harper: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government have not made such an assessment. The Government have announced their intention to speed up the implementation of a system of Individual Electoral Registration (IER) in Great Britain. We will be considering the electoral registration system in the context of the move to IER.
	Responsibility for registering electors lies with individual electoral registration officers (EROs) based within local authorities. The Electoral Commission provides guidance to EROs in undertaking electoral registration, and sets and monitors performance standards for EROs. It also undertakes work to promote public awareness of electoral registration.
	The Electoral Commission published research on electoral registration and a report on ERO's performance in March 2010: 'The completeness and accuracy of electoral Registers in Great Britain; and the Report on Performance Standards for Electoral Registration Officers in Great Britain'.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what research his Department has commissioned on  (a) postal ballot fraud and  (b) under-registration in the last 10 years.

Mark Harper: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government have not commissioned research on postal ballot fraud in the last 10 years. However, the Electoral Commission has addressed the issue of the integrity of the electoral process, including in relation to postal voting, in its statutory reports on elections in accordance with section 5 of the Political Parties and Elections Act 2000. In addition, the Electoral Commission also undertook detailed analysis of case files held by the Crown Prosecution Service which covered the period 2000-06, and published their findings in its reports, "Allegations of electoral malpractice in England and Wales 2000-2006" and "Further analysis of CPS files on allegations of electoral malpractice in England and Wales 2000-2006". More recently, the Electoral Commission in conjunction with the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) has published the reports "Allegations of electoral malpractice at the May 2008 elections in England and Wales" and "Analysis of allegations of electoral malpractice at the June 2009 elections". These reports give details of allegations of electoral malpractice reported to police during the elections in 2008 and 2009.
	The Government have not commissioned research on under-registration in the last 10 years. However, in 2005, the then Department for Constitutional Affairs (DCA) made use of existing research to inform work aimed at identifying an evidence base for policy development and service targets. More recently, the Electoral Commission published their report, "The completeness and accuracy of electoral registers in Great Britain", in March 2010. This, their latest of several studies on this subject, was based on a range of national data sources and case studies of eight local authorities across Great Britain. Among its key findings, the report found that,
	"Recent social, economic and political changes appear to have resulted in a declining motivation to register to vote among specific social groups".
	The social groups to which the report referred are those most likely to move home. Specifically among these, its case studies identified 17 to 24-year-olds, private sector tenants and black and minority ethnic (BME) groups as having higher than average rates of under-registration.

General Election 2010: Absent Voting

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how long was provided for postal ballot papers for the recent general election to be  (a) issued and  (b) delivered to UK citizens residing overseas.

Mark Harper: I have been asked to reply.
	Ballot papers cannot be printed before the deadline for the close of nominations. At a UK parliamentary election, under the Representation of the People Act 1983, this is 11 working days before polling day. Postal ballots are not issued before the last date for existing postal voters to cancel or vary their arrangements. For UK parliamentary elections this is also 11 working days before polling day.
	The returning officer will issue ballot papers to be delivered to postal voters as soon as possible after this date, within a period of approximately one to two weeks prior to polling day. Postal ballot papers are printed before those to be used in polling stations on polling day, and the Electoral Commission guidance to administrators recommended that postal ballot papers to be sent overseas should be issued first.

Legal Aid Scheme: Finance

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice with reference to the speech by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 24 May 2010 on public spending reductions, whether part of the £325 million in-year reduction in his Department's budget will be met by a reduction in the legal aid budget.

Kenneth Clarke: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 2 June 2010,  Official Report, column13W.
	Each area of the Department is contributing to the delivery of these savings (including arm's length bodies). These savings will be achieved by reducing discretionary spend, reducing capital and IT spend and stopping or deferring planned change programmes. When identifying these savings we have sought to ensure that they will not adversely affect services.
	We will be in a position to announce full details of the savings plans at the time of the Budget on 22 June 2010.

Mental Health: Tribunals

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the effect on the provision of services to those appearing before mental health tribunals of recent changes in civil legal aid; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan Djanogly: A fixed fee scheme for legally aided mental health work was introduced in January 2008. The provision of publicly-funded mental health services, including those related mental health tribunals, is monitored through the monthly collection of reports from legal aid providers by the Legal Services Commission (LSC). The LSC is confident that the provision of and access to mental health services including mental health tribunals remained good following those changes. This is evidenced by the increasing numbers of cases allocated to and started by mental health providers.
	A recent tender exercise has, been carried out by the LSC for new mental health contracts commencing in October 2010. The tender exercise has been significantly oversubscribed in all strategic health authorities.

Prisoners

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps he plans to take to reduce the prison population.

Crispin Blunt: The Government believe that we need enough prison places for those whom the courts judge should receive a custodial sentence.
	The Government will conduct a full review of sentencing and will introduce a "rehabilitation revolution", under which rehabilitation will be at the heart of a truly fit-for-purpose and cost-efficient prison system.
	Long-term decisions on prison capacity programmes will be taken in the light of these policy developments.

Prisons: Education

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans he has to increase levels of literacy and numeracy among the prison population.

Crispin Blunt: The Ministry of Justice works closely with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to provide prisoners with the skills they need to secure employment on release. That includes the literacy and numeracy skills that underpin so much else. Education and employment are critical factors in turning prisoners away from crime. The Government's priority on rehabilitation-"The rehabilitation revolution"-will mean that tackling prisoners' learning requirements, including those related specifically to increasing literacy and numeracy, will be high on our agenda.

Prisons: Food

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what guidelines are in place for the provision of meals in prisons to inmates with  (a) kosher,  (b) halal,  (c) vegetarian,  (d) vegan and  (e) other dietary requirements.

Crispin Blunt: Prisons offer a range of meals that enable prisoners to make preferred choices using a multi-choice menu system, including meals suited to their dietary, religious or cultural needs, including kosher, halal, vegetarian, vegan and other dietary requirements. Menu choices should reflect the establishment's population ethnicity.
	Full guidance, including mandatory requirements, is set out in Prison Service Order 5000-the Prison Service Catering Manual.

Rape

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of those convicted of rape in England and Wales in each of the last five years were known to their victims.

Crispin Blunt: The Court Proceedings Database held by the Ministry of Justice contains information on defendants proceeded against, found guilty and sentenced for criminal offences in England and Wales. Other than where specified in a statute statistical information available centrally does not include the circumstances of each case. It is therefore not possible to separately identify those defendants found guilty of rape who were known to their victim.

CABINET OFFICE

Cabinet Committees: Public Finance

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the estimated cost will be of establishing a Star Chamber.

Francis Maude: "The Spending Review Framework" published on 8 June 2010 announced that the Prime Minister has appointed a Committee of senior Cabinet Ministers, the Public Expenditure Committee (PEX), to advise the Cabinet on high level decisions that will need to be taken in the Spending Review.
	It is not possible to isolate costs associated with individual Cabinet Committees; however, as a committee of Cabinet, costs incurred by PEX will be met from the Cabinet Secretariat's existing resources.
	A copy of "The Spending Review Framework" will be placed in the Library of the House.

Civil Servants: Recruitment

Jo Swinson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps he plans to take to increase the number of central Government job vacancies published online.

Francis Maude: The Government expect the number of central Government vacancies to reduce as a result of the recruitment freeze announced as part of £6 billion savings this year. Where external vacancies do arise, these will all be published online on the civil service jobs site.

Civil Servants: Recruitment

Jo Swinson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what effect the planned freeze on civil service recruitment will have on the civil service fast-stream graduate recruitment programme.

Francis Maude: The Fast Stream is exempt from the recruitment freeze, and we are proceeding to place successful candidates from the 2010 competition as normal. We also plan a 2011 intake, details of which will be announced on the Fast Stream website:
	www.civilservice.gov.uk/jobs/faststream
	later this year.
	The exemption of the Fast Stream acknowledges the importance to the civil service of an uninterrupted supply of some of the country's best graduates.

Deaths: Cancer

Ben Wallace: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many deaths attributable to cancer there have been in each age group in Wyre and Preston North constituency in each year since 1999.

Francis Maude: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated June 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many deaths attributable to cancer there have been in each age group in Wyre and Preston North Constituency in each year since 1999. (1799)
	The table attached provides the number of deaths where cancer was the underlying cause of death by age group, in Wyre and Preston North constituency, for the years 1999 to 2009 (the latest year available).
	
		
			  Table 1. Number of deaths where cancer was the underlying cause of death( 1,2) , by age group, in Wyre and Preston North  constituency( 3) ,1999 to 2009( 4) 
			  Deaths (persons) 
			  Year  <45  45-49  50-54  55-59  60-64  65-69  70-74  75-79  80-84  85+  All ages 
			 1999 5 2 15 16 12 23 44 52 39 43 251 
			 2000 3 3 8 10 22 37 31 39 37 48 238 
			 2001 7 5 6 11 18 34 51 44 42 32 250 
			 2002 7 5 3 16 17 31 40 41 41 54 255 
			 2003 6 7 2 14 15 29 40 45 44 47 249 
			 2004 4 5 6 17 25 26 38 49 43 40 253 
			 2005 4 3 7 13 26 30 43 37 51 44 258 
			 2006 4 6 9 22 12 27 46 36 61 50 273 
			 2007 4 6 10 15 19 22 51 54 50 49 280 
			 2008 3 6 7 13 28 34 59 55 46 60 311 
			 2009 5 2 6 12 17 22 42 49 46 57 258 
			 (1) Cause of death for cancer was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD- 9) codes 140-208 for the years 1999 to 2000 and Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes C0O-C97 from 2001. The introduction of ICD-10 in 2001 means that the numbers of deaths from cancer before 2001 are not completely comparable with later years. (2) Cause of death for 2009 is provisional. (3) Based on boundaries as of May 2010. (4) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year.

Deaths: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office for how many deaths the primary cause of death was recorded as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in each of the last five years.

Francis Maude: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated June 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking for what number of deaths the primary cause of death was recorded as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in each of the last five years. (2144)
	The table attached provides the number of deaths where chronic obstructive pulmonary disease was the underlying cause of death in England and Wales, for the years 2005 to 2009 (the latest year available).
	The number of deaths registered in England and Wales each year by sex, age and cause are published annually on the National Statistics website at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/Product.asp?vlnk=15096
	
		
			  Number of deaths where chronic obstructive pulmonary disease( 1)  was the underlying cause, England and Wales,( 2)  2005-09( 3,4) 
			   Deaths (persons) 
			 2005 24,179 
			 2006 23,319 
			 2007 23,727 
			 2008 24,816 
			 2009 23,318 
			 (1) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes J40-J44. (2) Figures for England and Wales include deaths of non-residents. (3) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year. (4) Deaths registered in 2009 are provisional.

Departmental Manpower

Chris Bryant: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many full-time equivalent staff of each grade are employed in his Department.

Francis Maude: There is an established practice whereby information concerning how many full-time equivalent officials are employed at each grade in Cabinet Office is published on the Office for National Statistics website:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_labour/Civil-service-tables-2009-final.xls
	A copy of the most recent table (No. 20) has been placed in the Libraries of the House.

Departmental Mobile Phones

Tom Watson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office which Ministers in his Department have been issued with  (a) a Blackberry,  (b) an iPhone,  (c) another make of mobile telephone and  (d) a personal digital assistant supplied by the Department.

Francis Maude: The Cabinet Office have issued Blackberry devices to myself, the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister for Political and Constitutional Reform. No iPhone, other mobile phone or personal digital assistants have been issued to any Ministers in the Cabinet Office.

Departmental Official Hospitality

John Mann: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what budget has been allocated for entertainment, including alcohol, for the  (a) Prime Minister's Office,  (b) Office of the Leader of the House and  (c) Cabinet Office in each of the next three years.

Francis Maude: Cabinet Office budgets for the next three financial years (i.e. 2011-12, 2012-13 and 2013-14) will only be determined following the comprehensive spending review commencing autumn 2010.
	Any Cabinet Office expenditure on entertainment, including alcohol is made in accordance with published departmental guidance on financial procedures and propriety, based on principles set out in "Managing Public Money" and the Treasury handbook on "Regularity & Propriety".

Foreign Investment in UK: Pakistan

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate he has made of the level of foreign direct investment in the UK from Pakistani investors in each of the last five years.

Francis Maude: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking 'what estimate has been made of the level of foreign direct investment from Pakistani investors in each of the last five years' (1116).
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) produces estimates for UK Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) based on survey data collected by the ONS and Bank of England. Headline figures from the annual surveys are published in a Statistical Bulletin, "Foreign Direct Investment", which is available from the UK National Statistics website. The latest figures available at the level of counterpart country are for the year 2008.
	Data on inward investment flows and positions (levels) from Pakistan to the UK for 2004 to 2008 are provided in the attached table.
	
		
			  Net foreign direct investment in the UK by Pakistan, United Kingdom, 2004-08 
			  £ million 
			   Investment flows  Investment position (level)( 1) 
			 2004 (2)- (2)- 
			 2005 9 72 
			 2006 9 84 
			 2007 4 97 
			 2008 (3)- 98 
			 (1) Position at end of each year. (2) Indicates figure is suppressed to avoid disclosure of information relating to individual enterprises. (3) Indicates nil returns.  Source: Annual Inward Foreign Direct Investment surveys.

Government Departments: ICT

Iain Wright: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 26 May 2010,  Official Report, columns 2-3WS, on savings (2010-11), in respect of which  (a) IT projects and  (b) contracts with each company the £95 million savings in IT spending are to be made.

Francis Maude: As part of the Government's response to addressing the financial shortfall in the public sector and to contribute to the £6 billion savings required for 2010-11, we have instructed Departments, agencies and NDPBs to carry out a review of ICT projects in order to reduce costs. Each project will need to be reviewed individually to ascertain if the project should be stopped, reshaped or continue, as a result targets by project have not been set.
	The review of ICT projects will be followed by a contract renegotiation exercise which will be undertaken at supplier level and will focus on those suppliers who have the largest overall revenues from UK public sector contracts. Targets by contract have not been defined as each will need to be individually reviewed and negotiated.

Government Departments: ICT

John Pugh: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what recent estimate he has made of the likely level of savings to be made consequent on specifying compliance with open standards in Government IT procurement.

Francis Maude: I have not made any estimate on the likely level of savings that will accrue from specifying compliance with open standards in Government IT procurement. The coalition Government have made a clear manifesto pledge to open up Government procurement and reduce costs.
	As part of the forward work programme, the Efficiency and Reform Group within the Cabinet Office has already begun work to review and simplify ICT procurement including an increased focus on the use of open standards. Once this programme is under way we will be define the targets for savings from this activity and these will be published.

Government Departments: Publications

Tom Watson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what plans he has for the open document standard in which future data releases are to be published; and if he will make a statement.

Francis Maude: I will be seeking the advice of the Public Sector Transparency Board on the open standardised formats to be used for future data releases; they in turn will involve and engage developers and others likely to use the data. Where possible we will use recognised open standards including Linked Data standards.
	However I do not wish discussion of standards to delay the initial release of key datasets, and so for these we will where necessary use widely accepted basic formats (such as Delimiter Separated Variable format, as used for the Treasury COINS database) and listen to feedback from developers and data users in improving the formats for subsequent releases.

Government Departments: Publications

Tom Watson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether he plans to authorise departments to publish data sets in a machine readable format.

Francis Maude: Departments do not need authorisation to publish data sets in machine readable formats and some already do so. The Government's policy is that this should be the norm for all datasets published by all public bodies, and my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has already asked Government Departments and agencies to ensure that any information published includes the underlying data in an open standardised format for July 2010.

National Security Council

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office who the members are of the National Security Council.

Oliver Letwin: The National Security Council is chaired by the Prime Minister. Permanent members are the Deputy Prime Minister, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, the Home Secretary, the Secretary of State for Defence, the Secretary of State for International Development, the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, the Minister for Security and myself.
	Other Cabinet Ministers are invited to attend as required. The Chief of the Defence Staff, the heads of the intelligence agencies and other senior officials also attend as required.

Public Bodies

Tom Watson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to the answer of 3 June 2010,  Official Report, column 52W, on non-departmental public bodies, whether his Department holds a list of the names and addresses of all  (a) non-departmental public bodies and  (b) agencies.

Francis Maude: The names of non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) are published in the annual Cabinet Office report "Public Bodies" copies of which are in the Libraries of the House. These reflect the bodies established by the last Administration. Regarding the addresses of the NDPBs, I refer to the answer of 3 June 2010,  Official Report, column 52W. Names and addresses of UK agencies will be published shortly in the "List of Ministerial Responsibilities".

Public Sector Transparency Board

Tom Watson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  which Ministers will attend Public Sector Transparency Board meetings; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many officials have been allocated to work for the Public Sector Transparency Board;
	(3)  what budget he has allocated to support the work of the Public Sector Transparency Board; and how often the Board will meet;
	(4)  who the members of the Public Sector Transparency Board are;

Francis Maude: I will chair the Public Sector Transparency Board myself and Sir Tim Berners-Lee, Professor Nigel Shadbolt and Mr Tom Steinberg will be members. Further initial external members of the Board will be announced shortly. Ministers, officials and others may also be invited to attend meetings if they can help on particular issues the Board is considering.
	The Board will also involve and engage the wider community of experts, developers and advocates on transparency and open data, as well as working with Ministers and officials in Government Departments and other public bodies. I envisage that the Board will meet formally as necessary, and at least quarterly, but that most of its work will be through its members working together, individually and with others on transparency, open data and standards issues.
	The secretariat and initial budget for the Board itself will be drawn from the existing resources of the Cabinet Office. The overall budget for the Board's work, which will be from within existing departmental allocations, will be settled once I have the Board's advice on the work which is necessary and its priority.

Senior Civil Servants: Pay

Tom Watson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the salary is of each civil servant appointed since 1 April 2010 who earns more than £150,000 per annum.

Francis Maude: On 21 May we announced the appointment of Peter Housden, currently Permanent Secretary for Communities and Local Government, as Permanent Secretary to the Scottish Government. Mr Housden will take up his appointment later this month and his salary will be disclosed in the same way as for other senior civil servants earning £150,000 or more per annum. I am not aware of any further appointments at this pay level.

Swine Flu

Paul Flynn: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office when his Department will publish the results of its investigation into the swine influenza pandemic.

Francis Maude: The independently chaired review of the UK response to the 2009 H1N1 ("swine flu")pandemic is aiming to publish its report on 1 July 2010.